The generation of human dendritic and NK cells from hemopoietic progenitors induced by interleukin-15.
Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is a pleiotropic cytokine that induces the generation and differentiation of lymphoid cells and shares many biological activities with IL-2. We have shown here the development of dendritic cells (DC) from human CD34+ hemopoietic precursor cells cultured for 2-4 weeks with IL-15 alone. DC generated with IL-15 have typical morphological, immunocytochemical, phenotypic, and functional characteristics of mature DC. Dual flow cytometry analysis performed weekly demonstrated increasing co-expression of CD1a or CD83 with HLA-DR, CD80, CD86, IL-2R alpha, beta, and gamma. Two populations of cells were distinguished among CD34+ progeny. Small and medium-size cells were mainly natural killer (NK) cells (72.6-85.2% CD56+) and low numbers of DC (9.1-21.3% CD1a+). Large cells were mostly DC (75.4-95.4% CD1a+). Isolated CD34+ cells did not express IL-2R subunits but after 2-3 days in culture with IL-15, they were found to express IL-2Rgamma. Induced expression of IL-2Rgamma on CD34+ cells may explain the primary mechanism of IL-15-regulated differentiation of hemopoietic precursor cells. Thus, our data suggest that IL-15 stimulates CD34+ cells to differentiate into NK and DC and may represent a new growth and survival factor for lymphoid DC.
Bykovskaia
S N
SN
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Allegheny University of Health Science, Pennsylvania, USA.
Buffo
M
M
Zhang
H
H
Bunker
M
M
Levitt
M L
ML
Agha
M
M
Marks
S
S
Evans
C
C
Ellis
P
P
Shurin
M R
MR
Shogan
J
J
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D019409:Interleukin-15