title: Differentiation of thymocytes in fetal organ culture: lack of evidence for the functional role of the interleukin 2 receptor expressed by prothymocytes.
abstract: Thymic rudiments of 14-day-old mouse embryos were put into organ culture in the presence of interleukin 2 (IL2) and PC.61, a monoclonal antibody that binds to the IL2 receptor (IL2R). After 5 and 7 days of culture, we found no influence of PC.61 on the growth of the thymus and the composition of the thymocyte subpopulations as studied with a panel of monoclonal antibodies. High-dose IL2 treatment of the organ culture resulted in a reduction of the number of thymocytes and a decrease in the single CD4+ and CD4+CD8+ thymocytes, whereas the number of CD8+Ly-1+ thymocytes and the number of CD4-CD8-Ly-1- IL2R+ thymocytes increased. The effect of high-dose IL2 treatment was ascribed to the induction of a nonspecific LAK activity. Our findings argue against a functional role of IL2R on prothymocytes during early T cell development.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010641:Phenotype; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2