IL-3 and IL-4 affect thymocyte differentiation in organ culture.
The ability of lymphokines to affect the development and differentiation of mouse thymocytes in vitro was evaluated in a carefully controlled 3-day organ culture system. Concanavalin A (Con A)-induced supernatant (SN) from the T-cell clone D10.G4, which contains high concentrations of interleukin-3 (IL-3), IL-4 and IL-5, but lacks IL-1, IL-2 and interferon (IFN), markedly increased the proportion of CD4+CD8- cells, and decreased the proportion of CD4+CD8+ cells. These effects were unaffected by dialysing the SN, showing them to be caused by macromolecular factors. Highly purified recombinant IL-3 and IL-4 could exert similar effects, rIL-3 and rIL-4 both increasing the proportion of CD4+CD8- cells, and rIL4 in addition reducing the proportion of CD4+CD8+ cells. In conjunction with the findings of other investigators, these results indicate that at least four lymphokines (IL-1, IL-2, IL-3 and IL-4) can control T-cell development in the thymus.
Division of Immunology, Medical School, Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K.
P M
PM
Wood
R K
RK
Jordan
A L
AL
Givan
C G
CG
Brooks
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D005333:Fetus / Q000276:immunology; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000276:immunology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000196:embryology / Q000276:immunology*
D007377:Interleukin-3; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015847:Interleukin-4