During maturation, murine myeloid dendritic cells(DCs)upregulated the expressions of CD11c, CD25, CD40, CD80, CD86.MHc II and programmed death 1 ligands 1 and 2(PD-L1 and PD-L2).Differential expression patterns of PD-L1 and PD. L2 were found when DCs were triggered by CD40 ligand and TNF-α.PD-L1 expression-was repressed and PD. L2 expression remained unchanged in mature CD40-ligated DCs, whereas TNF-αstimulted DCs kept high expression of PD. L1 and significantly enhanced PD-L2 expression on DCs. Proliferations of T lymphocytes stimulated by immature DCs were enhanced by blockade of the PD-1 and PD-1 ligand interaction. But inhibiitive effects were found in T lymphocytes stimulated by CD40-ligated DCs. With the tine-tuned expressions of the PD-L1 and PD-L2, CD40-ligated DCs could sustain a longer activation period and elicit a more efficient T lymphocyte activation. Cellular & Molecular Immunology. 2008;5(1):33-39.