Early lymphocyte expansion is severely impaired in interleukin 7 receptor-deficient mice.
Interleukin 7 (IL-7) stimulates the proliferation of B cell progenitors, thymocytes, and mature T cells through an interaction with a high affinity receptor (IL-7R) belonging to the hematopoietin receptor superfamily. We have further addressed the role of IL-7 and its receptor during B and T cell development by generating mice genetically deficient in IL-7R. Mutant mice display a profound reduction in thymic and peripheral lymphoid cellularity. Analyses of lymphoid progenitor populations in IL-7R-deficient mice define precisely those developmental stages affected by the mutation and reveal a critical role for IL-7R during early lymphoid development. Significantly, these studies indicate that the phase of thymocyte expansion occurring before the onset of T cell receptor gene rearrangement is critically dependent upon, and mediated by the high affinity receptor for IL-7.
Immunex Research and Development Corporation, Seattle, Washington 98101.
J J
JJ
Peschon
P J
PJ
Morrissey
K H
KH
Grabstein
F J
FJ
Ramsdell
E
E
Maraskovsky
B C
BC
Gliniak
L S
LS
Park
S F
SF
Ziegler
D E
DE
Williams
C B
CB
Ware
J D
JD
Meyer
B L
BL
Davison
D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000502:physiology*; D051917:Leukosialin; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000032:analysis
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D015851:Interleukin-7; D051917:Leukosialin; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; C497863:Spn protein, mouse