Differential effects of IL-2 and IL-6 on the development of three distinct precursor T-cell populations in the thymus.
Three distinct T-cell precursors: bone marrow cells that express low levels of the Thy-1 antigen but no lineage markers (Thy-1-lo/BM); CD4-, CD8-, and CD3- thymocytes that express low levels of the Thy-1 antigen (Thy-1-lo/Thym); and CD4-, CD8-, and CD3- thymocytes that express high levels of the Thy-1 antigen and the IL-2 R alpha chain (Thy-1+/IL2R+) were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). These three populations expanded with different kinetics in the thymus of irradiated recipient mice after intrathymic transfer. When a high dose of human recombinant IL-2 (r-IL-2) or human recombinant IL-6 (r-IL-6) was administered, r-IL-6 accelerated donor Thy-1+/IL2R+ to differentiate, whereas r-IL-2 blocked normal differentiation and expansion of donor Thy-1-lo/Thym, but did not show any significant effect on donor Thy-1+/IL2R+. Neither r-IL-2 nor r-IL-6 worked directly on donor Thy-1-lo/BM in this transfer system.
Nakano
N
N
Division of Immunology, Osaka University, Japan.
Kikutani
H
H
Kishimoto
T
T
D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens