Identification and cellular distribution of the rat interleukin-2 receptor beta chain: induction of the IL-2R alpha- beta+ phenotype by major histocompatibility complex class I recognition during T cell development in vivo and by T cell receptor stimulation of CD4+8+ immature thymocytes in vitro.
A mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) to the rat interleukin-2 receptor beta (IL-2R beta) chain was generated using IL-2R beta cDNA-transfected mouse L929 cells for immunization and differential screening. This antibody, called L316, detects a cell surface protein with an apparent molecular mass of about 80 kDa. In peripheral lymphoid organs of young adult rats, IL-2R beta expression is restricted to T and natural killer (NK) cells, and less than 10% of IL-2R beta+ cells co-express the IL-2R alpha chain. IL-2R beta was detected on all NKRP-1hi (NK-) and NKRP-1lo cells (T-lineage cells of unknown function), most peripheral gama delta T cells and on 30-40 % of CD8 and 10 % of CD4 alpha beta T cells. In the adult rat thymus, mAb L316 detects a small subset (about 1%) of predominantly IL-2R alpha- cells which express cell surface markers characteristic of mature T lymphocytes and contain a high proportion of CD4-8- and CD4-8+ alpha beta T cell receptor (TCR)+ thymocytes. TCR-V usage suggests that major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I plays a more important role than MHC class II in the selection of these cells. On immature CD4+8+ rat thymocytes, IL-2R beta cell surface expression is readily induced by TCR stimulation in vitro, supporting the idea that in vivo, the IL-2R beta+ phenotype is the the result of TCR engagement during thymic selection.
Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Germany.
J H
JH
Park
T
T
Hanke
T
T
Hünig
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D015332:Gene Rearrangement, alpha-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2