Expression of murine IL-2 receptor beta-chain on thymic and splenic lymphocyte subpopulations as revealed by the IL-2-induced proliferative response in human IL-2 receptor alpha-chain transgenic mice.
Lymphocytes from the human (h) IL-2R alpha chain transgenic mice (TGM) constitutively express high affinity binding sites for hIL-2, consisting of transgenic h-IL-2R alpha and endogenous murine IL-2R beta, and therefore easily proliferate in vitro in response to hIL-2. Our study was undertaken to clarify the hIL-2-responsive lymphocyte subsets in the TGM, which should most likely reflect the normal distribution of m IL-2R beta expression. In both thymus and spleen, the majority of expanded cells by hIL-2 was CD3+CD4-CD8+ TCR alpha beta+ cells. The proliferation of CD4+ cells was not observed at all from either organ despite the expression of transgenic hIL-2R alpha. Potent cellular proliferation was also observed from the thymocytes that had been depleted of CD8+ cells, the expanded cells consisting of CD3- (15-40%) and CD3+ populations (60-85%). Among CD3+ cells, approximately the half portion expressed TCR alpha beta, whereas the other half was suggested to express TCR gamma delta. A variable portion (5-20%) of the CD3+ cells expressed CD8 (Lyt-2) in the absence of Lyt-3, and the CD3+CD8+ cells were confined preferentially to the TCR alpha beta- (TCR gamma delta+) population. In the culture of splenocytes depleted of CD8+ cells, however, the proliferated cells were mostly CD3-CD4-CD8-TCR-Mac1-, whereas a minor portion (10-30%) was CD3+CD4-CD8-TCR alpha beta- (TCR gamma delta+. Analysis of TCR genes at both DNA and mRNA levels confirmed the phenotypical observations. These results strongly suggested that IL-2R beta was constitutively and selectively expressed on the primary murine thymocytes and splenic T and NK cells, except for CD4+ cells in both organs.
Hattori
M
M
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Okazaki
H
H
Ishida
Y
Y
Onuma
M
M
Kano
S
S
Honjo
T
T
Minato
N
N
D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000032:analysis; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2