title: Immune responses in interleukin-2-deficient mice.
abstract: The role of costimulatory signals in T cell induction was evaluated in mice lacking the interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene. In vitro secondary antiviral T cell responses were absent unless IL-2 was added, confirming the crucial role of IL-2 in vitro. In vivo, primary and secondary cytotoxic T cell responses against vaccinia and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus were within normal ranges. B cell reactivity to vesicular stomatitis virus was not impaired. T helper cell responses were delayed but biologically functional. Natural killer cell activity was markedly reduced but inducible. These normal in vivo immune responses in IL-2-deficient mice question the importance of IL-2 as defined by in vitro studies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Kündig
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schorle
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Bachmann
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hengartner
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Zinkernagel
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Horak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000276:immunology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008216:Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis / Q000276:immunology; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D018353:Rhabdoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014615:Vaccinia / Q000276:immunology; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000276:immunology; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / Q000276:immunology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007376:Interleukin-2