IL-7 receptor alpha+ CD3(-) cells in the embryonic intestine induces the organizing center of Peyer's patches.
Peyer's patch (PP) organogenesis proceeds through three histologically distinct steps: formation of organizing centers expressing VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 in segregated regions of the intestine at 15.5 days post-coitus (d.p.c.) (step I), accumulation of blood cells expressing different sets of surface markers to this region at 16.5-17.0 d.p.c. (step II), and entry of CD3+ and B220+ lymphocytes just before birth (step III). PP formation of both Il7ra-/- and Lta-/- mice is impaired from step I, suggesting involvement of the two molecules at the same timing in PP organogenesis. Expression of lymphotoxin (LT) alpha and LTbeta in IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) alpha+ cells in the intestine indicates that defects of Il7ra-/- and Lta-/- mice are due to functional inability of IL-7Ralpha+ cells in the induction of PP anlage. Blocking of IL-7Ralpha function by a single injection of the antagonistic mAb in 15.5 d.p.c. embryos suppressed appearance of VCAM-1(+) spots and expression of LTalpha and LTbeta in the intestine, which eventually resulted in mice without PP but are otherwise normal. Intestinal IL-7Ralpha+ cells are lymphoid in morphology but CD3(-) and functional in both nu/nu and Rag2-/- mice. These results implicate IL-7Ralpha+ CD3(-) cells as the direct inducer of the organizing center of PP.
D000818:Animals; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D007422:Intestines / Q000196:embryology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000196:embryology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7 / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*