Interleukin-15 preferentially promotes the growth of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes bearing gamma delta T cell receptor in mice.
Several cytokines including stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin (IL)-7 are known to be required for development of gamma delta T cell receptor (TCR) intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (i-IEL) in mice. We show here the effects of IL-15 on the proliferation and maintenance of murine gamma delta i-IEL in vitro. gamma delta i-IEL constitutively expressed a high level of IL-15 receptor alpha mRNA and proliferated in response to IL-15 more vigorously than alpha beta i-IEL. V gamma/delta repertoire analysis revealed that IL-15, like IL-2, induced polyclonal expansion of gamma delta i-IEL, whereas gamma delta i-IEL responding to IL-7 showed a V gamma/delta repertoire skewed towards V gamma 1/V delta 4, V delta 5. IL-15 efficiently prevented gamma delta i-IEL from apoptosis induced by growth factor deprivation. This rescue was accompanied by up-regulation of Bcl-2 expression. These results suggest that IL-15 plays important roles in proliferation and maintenance of gamma delta i-IEL.
Inagaki-Ohara
K
K
Laboratory of Host Defense and Germfree Life, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
Nishimura
H
H
Mitani
A
A
Yoshikai
Y
Y
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002999:Clone Cells; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000172:deficiency; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D006133:Growth Substances; D019409:Interleukin-15; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2