Recombinant interleukin 7, pre-B cell growth factor, has costimulatory activity on purified mature T cells.
The activation of highly purified murine peripheral T cells in vitro by Con A is dependent on a co-stimulatory signal that is not IL-1 or IL-2. Previous evidence has demonstrated that the recently defined lymphokine IL-6 could provide costimulatory activity for purified T cells cultured with Con A. In this report we demonstrate that IL-7 also has potent co-stimulatory activity for purified murine T cells, as well as its previously described ability to support the growth of pre-B cells in Witte-Whitlock cultures. When rIL-7 was added to cultures of purified T cells together with Con A, it induced the expression of IL-2 receptors, IL-2 production, and consequently proliferation. In addition, IL-7 exhibited the same magnitude of activity in this assay as IL-6. Also, anti-IL-6 antibody which inhibited the IL-6-induced response had no effect on the IL-7 response. Thus, IL-7 does not act by inducing IL-6. These results demonstrate that IL-7, a potent growth stimulus for pre-B cells, also has a role in T cell activation.
Morrissey
P J
PJ
Immunex Corporation, Seattle, Washington 98101.
Goodwin
R G
RG
Nordan
R P
RP
Anderson
D
D
Grabstein
K H
KH
Cosman
D
D
Sims
J
J
Lupton
S
S
Acres
B
B
Reed
S G
SG
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6; D015851:Interleukin-7; D007378:Interleukins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D015851:Interleukin-7; D007378:Interleukins; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D003208:Concanavalin A