Proliferation of an athymic mouse-derived T-cell clone on thymic stromal cells with interleukin-2.
An athymic mouse-derived CD4+8+ T-cell clone, N-9F, was established. It expresses both full length gamma and delta T-cell receptor (TcR) mRNA. N-9F clone was not maintained by interleukin-2 (IL-2) alone but required another soluble mediator(s), contained in concanavalin A-stimulated splenocyte culture supernatant, for its proliferation. By culturing N-9F on thymic stromal cells, [3H]thymidine incorporation was retained and expression of IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) was induced. This phenomenon was also observed on thymic stromal cells from H-2 allogeneic mice, but not on other cell types such as splenic adherent cells or fibroblasts. After addition of recombinant IL-2 into the N-9F culture with thymic stromal cells, N-9F showed enhanced IL-2R expression and greatly proliferated. The inability to detect any soluble factors in thymic stromal cell culture supernatant suggests that this interaction is mediated by direct cell contact between T and thymic stromal cells. Because a CD2-negative subclone, N-9.23, also proliferated on thymic stromal cells, there might exist a type of molecule other than CD2/LFA3 or TcR/MHC involved with thymic stroma and T-lymphocyte interaction.
Tamura
H
H
Department of Immunology, Kochi Medical School, Japan.
Kuzuhara
H
H
Hiramine
C
C
Hojo
K
K
Yamamoto
H
H
Fujimoto
S
S
D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology*
D007376:Interleukin-2; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2