title: Murine asialo GM1+CD8+ T cells as novel interleukin-12-responsive killer T cell precursors.
abstract: Freshly isolated CD8+ T cells, but not CD4+ T cells, contained 20-30% of asialo GM1+ (ASGM1+) T cells which were distinct from ASGM1+NK1.1+ natural killer cells. This novel ASGM1+CD8+ T cell subpopulation showed a strong proliferative response to interleukin-12 (IL-12) in the presence of IL-2. Culture of ASGM1+CD8+ T cells with IL-12 plus IL-2 allowed the generation of anomalous killer T cells concomitantly with the accumulation of cytolytic molecules. Moreover, ASGM1+CD8+ T cells produced high levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), but not IL-4, upon stimulation with IL-12 plus IL-2. Such immune responses were not observed in ASGM1-CD8+ T cell subpopulations constituting the majority of CD8+ T cells. These results demonstrated that ASGM1+CD8+ T cells are a novel subpopulation of IL-12-responsive and IFN-gamma-producing killer T cell precursors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Santa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Habu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishimura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D018664:Interleukin-12; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside; C018835:asialo GM1 ganglioside; D007371:Interferon-gamma