IL-2 receptor alpha-chain expression is independently regulated in primary and secondary lymphoid organs.
The IL-2R is composed of three chains: IL-2R alpha, IL-2R beta, and IL-2R gamma. In mice, IL-2Ra is critical and determines IL-2 binding to the tripartite IL-2R complex. To extend our previous studies, which demonstrated that IL-2 regulates IL-2R alpha expression in vitro, we have analyzed expression in IL-2-deficient mice in vivo. As in control animals, CD4- CD8- thymocytes and bone marrow-derived B220+ pre-B cells were IL-2R alpha positive. In contrast, activated lymph node and splenic CD4 T cells (CD4+ CD69+) were found to be IL-2R alpha negative, whereas approximately 20% of the same cell populations from the MLR/lpr strain, which also accumulate large numbers of CD4-activated T cells in the presence of intact IL-2, retained expression. A similar pattern of IL-2R alpha expression was found among splenic CD8 cells from IL-2(-/-) and IL-2(+/-) animals. These findings demonstrate that in primary lymphoid organs, IL-2 is not directly involved in IL-2R alpha expression. However, at the level of mature lymphocytes, and more specifically CD4 T cells, IL-2 remains in vivo, as in vitro, the most critical cytokine controlling both IL-2R alpha expression and sensitivity to IL-2.
Demaison
C
C
Unité d'Immunogénétique Cellulaire, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Fiette
L
L
Blanchetière
V
V
Schimpl
A
A
Thèze
J
J
Froussard
P
P
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000235:genetics; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019463:Mice, Inbred MRL lpr; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2