NK1.1+ CD4+ CD8- thymocytes with specific lymphokine secretion.
CD4+8- or CD4-8+ thymocytes have been regarded as direct progenitors of peripheral T cells. However, recently, we have found a novel NK1.1+ subpopulation with skewed T cell antigen receptor (TcR) V beta family among heat-stable antigen negative (HSA-) CD4+8- thymocytes. In the present study, we show that these NK1.1+ CD4+8- thymocytes, which represent a different lineage from the major NK1.1- CD4+8- thymocytes or CD4+ lymph node T cells, vigorously secrete interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon (IFN)-gamma upon stimulation with immobilized anti-TcR-alpha beta antibody. On the other hand, neither NK1.1- CD4+8- thymocytes nor CD4+ lymph node T cells produced substantial amounts of these lymphokines. A similar pattern of lymphokine secretion was observed with the NK1.1+ CD4+T cells obtained from bone marrow. The present findings elucidate the recent observations that HSA- CD4+8- thymocytes secrete a variety of lymphokines including IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 before the CD4+8- thymocytes are exported from thymus. Our evidence indicates that NK1.1+ CD4+8- thymocytes are totally responsible for the specific lymphokine secretions observed in the HSA- CD4+8- thymocytes.
Arase
H
H
Section of Pathology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Arase
N
N
Nakagawa
K
K
Good
R A
RA
Onoé
K
K
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D000950:Antigens, Ly; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D055651:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D000941:Antigens; D000950:Antigens, Ly; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; C527211:Klrb1c protein, mouse; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008222:Lymphokines; D055651:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B; D011506:Proteins; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma