Dissection of the proliferative and differentiative signals controlling murine cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses.
Evidence is presented that interleukin 2 (IL-2) is not sufficient to cause the differentiation of primary cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Sources of IL-2 were compared for their ability to cause proliferation as well as differentiation into CTL. Whereas all factors caused proliferation, only the crude Con A supernatant had cytotoxic T cell differentiation factor (CTDF) activity. Furthermore, factors absorbed with an IL-2-dependent cell line to remove IL-2 still retained CTDF activity. Thus, IL-2 functions to cause clonal expansion of CTL precursors preactivated by antigen or mitogen, but for their differentiation into CTL, an additional factor is required, here called CTDF.
D000818:Animals; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
D000950:Antigens, Ly; D007376:Interleukin-2; D003208:Concanavalin A