Rat NKR-P1+ CD3+ T cells: selective proliferation in interleukin-2, diverse T-cell-receptor-Vbeta repertoire and polarized interferon-gamma expression.
Cells expressing markers of both natural killer and T lymphocytes (NK T cells) in humans and mice express a restricted T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire, are of CD4- CD8- or CD4+ CD8- phenotype, and upon anti-CD3 stimulation secrete large amounts of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). NK T cells may be the primary source of IL-4-promoting T helper type 2 (Th2) responses and/or they might be involved in regulating the balance between Th1- and Th2-type immune responses, and may consequently affect susceptibility to autoimmune diseases associated with a skewed Th phenotype. We show that rat NK T cells selectively proliferate to IL-2, and use this fact to analyse cytokine production by NK T cells in two rat strains differentially susceptible to Th1- or Th2-type autoimmune diseases. Analysis by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that, in contrast to mouse, rat NK T cells secrete exclusively IFN-gamma and not IL-4 after anti-CD3 stimulation, and use a wider TCR-Vbeta repertoire, suggesting that rat NK T cells are not essential for the development of Th2-type CD4+ T-cell responses.
Institute for Biological Research, Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
V
V
Badovinac
C
C
Boggiano
V
V
Trajković
A B
AB
Frey
N L
NL
Vujanović
D P
DP
Gold
M
M
Mostarica-Stojković
S
S
Vukmanović
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D017252:CD3 Complex; D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma