The precise contribution(s) of skin dendritic cells (DCs) to immune responses in the skin has not been well delineated. We developed an intradermal (i.d.) injection model in which CD8+ T (OT-I) cells that express ovalbumin (OVA)-peptide-specific T-cell receptors (Vα2/Vβ5) are delivered directly to the dermis of transgenic (Tg) mice expressing OVA in the epidermis. Following i.d. injection, these mice reliably develop skin GvHD by day 7. To determine the relative contribution of LCs to the ensuing graft-versus-host (GvHD) - like reaction, we generated K14-OVA × Langerin-Diphtheria-Toxin-Receptor (Langerin-DTR) Tg mice to allow conditional ablation of LCs in the epidermis. To delineate the role of dermal dendritic cells (dDCs) in the reaction we also generated K14-OVA Tg chimeras using beta-2-microglobulin-deficient (b2m) congenic donor bone marrow cells. Dermal DCs in these mice cannot present OVA to OT-I cells while the LC are antigen presentation competent. Unexpectedly, OT-I cell injection into diphtheria toxin (DT)-treated b2m→K14−OVA × Langerin-DTR Tg mice resulted in skin GvHD. Thus, in vivo, both LC and dDC appear to be dispensable for induction of keratinocyte-directed, CD8-mediated effector immune responses. Furthermore and surprisingly, OVA-expressing epidermal cells depleted of LCs that could not initiate allogeneic epidermal lymphocyte reactions, activated naïve OT-I cells in vitro. These results indicate that keratinocytes may function as accessory cells-competent to prime naïve skin-reactive T cells.