Description
Dendritic cells (DCs) are critical mediators of host defense against bacteria. The goal of this microarray study was to understand the global transcriptional response of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) upon exposure to live bacteria, to better understand how DCs orchestrate a host-protective immune response. We found that BMDCs upregulate a number of critical immune-related genes upon exposure to live E. coli. Most notably, the gene encoding hepcidin, a critical regulator of mammalian iron homeostasis, was significantly upregulated in BMDCs upon exposure to live bacteria.