title: IL-2 protects T lymphocytes from glucocorticoid-induced DNA fragmentation and cell death.
abstract: In the IL-2-dependent T cell clone CTLL-2, dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid, induces a suicide program characterized by the early degradation of chromatin in oligonucleosome-length fragments which precedes the loss of cell viability by 2 to 4 h. These effects are most likely mediated through the interaction with a specific glucocorticoid receptor as suggested by the structure-activity relationship of the various steroids tested. Incubation of nuclei of glucocorticoid-untreated cells in the presence of calcium and magnesium ions induces the cleavage of DNA in the linker region between nucleosomes, suggesting that fragmentation of chromatin in intact cells by glucocorticoids may involve the activation of a preexisting endonuclease. Interestingly, the presence of a saturating dose of IL-2 during the treatment of CTLL-2 cells with glucocorticoids completely blocks the cell death program.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas del CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nieto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Rivas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000201:enzymology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D004249:DNA Damage; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000633:toxicity; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000633:toxicity*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000187:drug effects; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007376:Interleukin-2; D009707:Nucleosomes; D003907:Dexamethasone; D004720:Endonucleases