Gene expression profiling of skin melanophages and macrophages positive or negative for MHC class II expression

The lack of mouse models permitting the specific ablation of tissue-resident macrophages and monocyte-derived cells complicates understanding of their contribution to tissue integrity and to immune responses. Here we use a new model permitting diphtheria-toxin (DT)-mediated depletion of those cells and in which dendritic cells are spared. We showed that the myeloid cells of the mouse ear skin dermis are dominated by a population of melanin-laden macrophages, called melanophages, that has been missed in most previous studies. By using gene expression profiling, DT-mediated ablation and parabiosis, we determined their identity including their similarity to other skin macrophages, their origin and their dynamics. Limited information exist on the identity of the skin cells responsible for long-term tattoo persistence. Benefiting of our knowledge on melanophages, we showed that they are responsible for retaining tattoo pigment particles through a dynamic process which characterization has direct implications for improving strategies aiming at removing tattoos. Immune cells were isolated from the skin of C57BL/6 mice as previoulsy described (Tamoutounour et al. Immunity. 2013). Melanophages and macrophages were sorted by flow cytometry according to the marker combinations (i.e., phenotype) for each sample.