A unique pattern of lymphokine synthesis is a characteristic of certain antigen-specific suppressor T cell clones.
We report that the lymphokines (IFN-gamma) and IL-10 are co-synthesized by previously described CD3+ TCR alpha beta+, minor antigen-specific suppressor T cell clones. IFN-gamma and IL-10 are known to (i) be characteristically produced by different helper T cell types, Th1 and Th2 respectively, and (ii) inhibit the function of the reciprocal subset of T cells: IFN-gamma inhibits the function of Th2 and IL-10 that of Th1 cells. Although Th0 cells are also known to synthesize cytokines of both the Th1- and Th2-type T cells, the suppressor T cells described in this report are different from Th0 cells in that they produce (i) neither IL-2 nor IL-4 molecules and (ii) stimulation via their CD3-TCR system seems independent of both IL-2 and IL-4, the typical autocrine molecules for T cell proliferation. The lymphokine profile of these suppressor T (Ts) cell clones, as well as those of human antigen-specific Ts cells reported earlier, suggests that co-synthesis of some Th1-like and some Th2-like cytokines may be a characteristic of antigen-specific Ts cells as opposed to the type of reciprocal inhibition mediated through IFN-gamma or IL-10, which is antigen non-specific.
Nanda
N K
NK
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, UCLA 90024.
Sercarz
E E
EE
Hsu
D H
DH
Kronenberg
M
M
D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D002999:Clone Cells; D053804:Granzymes; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000235:genetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
D017252:CD3 Complex; D007377:Interleukin-3; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D053804:Granzymes; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C509212:GZMA protein, human