A dendritic cell type of distinct morphology, localization, and surface marker expression (CD123-positive) from other dendritic cell types and associated with early stage immune responses, particularly the release of physiologically abundant amounts of type I interferons in response to infection. [ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15549123 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pmc&cmd=search&term=PMC538703 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pmc&cmd=search&term=PMC2118448 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17850486 GOC:dsd http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20304825 GOC:add http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17332250 ]