title: Regulation of IFN-gamma production in granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-deficient mice.
abstract: Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-deficient (GM-CSF-/-) mice produce far lower serum levels of IFN-gamma in response to LPS than GM-CSF+/+ mice. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from LPS-injected GM-CSF-/- mice showed a deficiency in IFN-gamma production and proliferative activity in response to IL-2 and IL-12, whereas IFN-gamma production by NK cells was not compromised. These defects of T cells were reversed by administration of GM-CSF in vivo, but not by supplementation with GM-CSF in vitro. GM-CSF-/- mice do not have an intrinsic defect in IFN-gamma production, because IL-12 injection induces the same high levels of IFN-gamma in GM-CSF-/- and GM-CSF+/+ mice. To investigate the inhibitory effect of LPS on GM-CSF-/- T cells and the indirect restorative activity of GM-CSF, we tested the action of supernatants from cultured dendritic cells (DC). A factor or factors in the DC supernatant normalized serum IFN-gamma levels and T cell responses in LPS-injected GM-CSF-/- mice. IL-18 reproduced some but not all of these in vivo and in vitro effects of DC supernatants. Our results indicate that GM-CSF is important in protecting T cells from inhibitory signals generated during immunization or exposure to LPS, and that this effect of GM-CSF is indirect and mediated by factors produced by DC.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, New York Branch at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Old
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor