Description: The monoclonal antibody eBio440c recognizes Siglec-H, a protein exclusively found on pDC (plasmacytoid dendritic cells) or type I IFN-producing cells (IPC) in the naïve mouse. Mouse IPC are typically PDCA+, CD11c+, CD11b-, B220+, and Ly-6C+, and are quick to respond to viruses. Siglec-H is a transmembrane protein of the Ig superfamily that like CD33 have been shown to bind sialic acid but lacks the characteristic cytoplasmic ITIM domain (immunoreceptor tyrosine based inhibitory motif). To overcome the lack of a cytoplasmic domain, Siglec-H associates with DAP12 thereby allowing for signal transduction. The eBio440c antibody has been shown to inhibit pDC function (inhbits IFNalpha secretion in response to CpG).
It has been observed that some mouse strains (such as SJL) have higher percentages of pDCs compared to C57BL/6.