IL-4 production by T cells from naive donors. IL-2 is required for IL-4 production.
Utilizing a sensitive and selective assay for IL-4, it was shown that lymph node T cells from naive mice could produce small amounts of this lymphokine in response to anti-CD3 antibodies adsorbed to culture dishes. The capacity of these cells to produce IL-4 in response to plate-bound anti-CD3 was substantially enhanced by the addition of IL-2 to the culture and was strikingly inhibited by monoclonal anti-IL-2 antibody. Thus, IL-2 appears to be essential for IL-4 production by anti-CD3 antibody-stimulated T cells from naive mice. The effect of IL-2 was not mediated either by preferential proliferation or survival of precursors of IL-4 producing cells, indicating that IL-2 regulates T cell production of IL-4. IL-4 producing capacity of T cells from naive mice was found mainly among CD4+ T cells. Large T cells produced much more IL-4, on a per cell basis, than did small T cells. In contrast, small T cells appeared to be equal or superior to large T cells in producing IL-2. The superiority of large T cells in IL-4-producing capacity was not accounted for by a lack of an accessory cell population from the small T cells as addition of large spleen cells depleted of both B and T cells did not enhance IL-4 production by small lymph node T cells. These results suggest that the bulk of IL-4 production by T cell populations, from normal mice, in response to anti-CD3 depends upon cells that are already activated and that IL-2 is required for such production.
Ben-Sasson
S Z
SZ
Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Le Gros
G
G
Conrad
D H
DH
Finkelman
F D
FD
Paul
W E
WE
D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D017252:CD3 Complex; D002455:Cell Division; D002470:Cell Survival; D005260:Female; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D017252:CD3 Complex; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D015847:Interleukin-4