title: IL-2-induced activation-induced cell death is inhibited in IL-15 transgenic mice.
abstract: A transgenic (Tg) mouse expressing human IL-15 was generated to define the role of IL-15 in the normal immune response. Overexpression of IL-15 resulted in an increase of NK, CD44(hi)CD8 memory T cells, and gammadelta T cells. Additionally, we observed the emergence of a novel type of NK-T cells with CD8alphaalpha' expression. Due to the expansion and activation of NK cells, the IL-15Tg mouse showed enhanced innate immunity. In adaptive T cell immunity, the roles of IL-15 contrasted with those of IL-2. IL-15 inhibited IL-2-induced T cell death, which plays a role in the maintenance of peripheral self-tolerance. IL-15 thus seems to contribute to enhanced immune memory by selectively propagating memory T cells and by blocking T cell death mediated by IL-2.
authors.affiliation: Metabolism Branch, Division of Clinical Sciences, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marks-Konczalik
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Losi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sabzevari
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feigenbaum
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Waldmann
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tagaya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D002453:Cell Cycle; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D019409:Interleukin-15; D007376:Interleukin-2