Essential role of the interleukin 2-interleukin 2 receptor pathway in thymocyte maturation in vivo.
The role of the IL-2-IL-2-R pathway in thymocyte differentiation in vivo is unknown. We have examined fetal thymocyte development in vivo, under conditions where all IL-2-R were saturated from day 13 of gestation with anti-IL-2-R mAbs that were previously shown to render mature T cells unable to respond to IL-2. This produced a dramatic change in the composition of developing T cells: thymocytes from day 1 neonatal mice born to anti-IL-2-R-treated mothers did not contain CD4+ or CD8+ single-positive cell populations. In addition, no generation of surface TCR beta chain-expressing T cells or antigen-reactive functional T cells occurred in treated mice. These data suggest that IL-2-IL-2-R interactions provide signals crucial to in vivo intrathymic development of mature T cells.
Tentori
L
L
Division of Cancer Treatment, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21701.
Longo
D L
DL
Zuñiga-Pflucker
J C
JC
Wing
C
C
Kruisbeek
A M
AM
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011247:Pregnancy; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000502:physiology; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000166:cytology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2