title: Regulation of gamma interferon production by natural killer cells in scid mice: roles of tumor necrosis factor and bacterial stimuli.
abstract: CB-17 scid mice exhibit a T-cell-independent but gamma interferon (IFN-gamma)-dependent immunity to Listeria monocytogenes. In this study, we analyzed the specific cellular interactions involved in this process. scid mouse-derived natural killer (NK) cells cultured with heat-killed (HK) L. monocytogenes and macrophages secreted IFN-gamma. No IFN-gamma was produced in cultures containing HK L. monocytogenes but lacking macrophages. However, medium derived from macrophages incubated with HK L. monocytogenes or other microorganisms stimulated IFN-gamma production by isolated NK cells. Treatment of macrophage-conditioned supernatants with neutralizing monoclonal anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) significantly reduced their capacity to stimulate NK cells to produce IFN-gamma. Yet, purified recombinant TNF-alpha by itself was unable to stimulate NK cells. Thus, TNF was necessary but not sufficient to induce maximal IFN-gamma production by NK cells. Sonicated L. monocytogenes stimulated production of IFN-gamma by NK cells that was resistant to anti-TNF. Stimulation was markedly enhanced by the addition of recombinant TNF-alpha. These studies demonstrated that activation of scid NK cells for secretion of IFN-gamma requires two signals: TNF-alpha and a second product which may be of bacterial origin and may require processing by mononuclear phagocytes. We suggest that the T-cell-independent production of IFN-gamma by NK cells provides the host with a rapid mechanism to temporarily heighten nonspecific resistance to infection until such time as T-cell-dependent sterilizing immune responses can be generated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wherry
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Unanue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism*; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma