The relationship of IL-4- and IFN gamma-producing T cells studied by lineage ablation of IL-4-producing cells.
Subsets of CD4 T cells are defined by the cytokines that they produce; these cytokines determine the effector function of these cells. Cloned CD4 T cells fall into two subsets, producing either interferon-gamma (IFN gamma) or interleukin-4 (IL-4) in combination with other cytokines, and are called Th1 and Th2 cells, respectively. The lineage relationship between naive T cells and effector Th1- and Th2-type cells is unclear. We generated transgenic mice in which IL-4-producing cells express herpes simplex virus 1 thymidine kinase and are eliminated by ganciclovir (GANC). Activation of transgenic T cells in the presence of GANC eliminates IL-4 and IFN gamma production, showing that IL-4- and IFN gamma-producing cells express or have expressed IL-4. These results show that effector cells producing either IL-4 or IFN gamma have a common precursor, which expresses the IL-4 gene.
Kamogawa
Y
Y
Section of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.
Minasi
L A
LA
Carding
S R
SR
Bottomly
K
K
Flavell
R A
RA
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007378:Interleukins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000201:enzymology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology
D007378:Interleukins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D003208:Concanavalin A; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D013937:Thymidine Kinase; D015774:Ganciclovir