IL-4 secreted from individual naive CD4+ T cells acts in an autocrine manner to induce Th2 differentiation.
Naive CD4(+) T cell populations rapidly produce small amounts of IL-4 in response to T cell receptor-mediated stimulation and may undergo Th2 differentiation without exogenous IL-4. Whether this is due to autocrine IL-4-stimulation or the production of IL-4 by an infrequent naive cell has not been determined. Here we show that single CD4(+) T cells from RAG2-/- T cells receptor transgenic mice primed with their cognate antigen give rise to IL-4-producing cells at a similar frequency whether primed with or without added IL-4, but not if anti-IL-4 is added to the culture. Thus, each founder cell or one or more of its early daughters can produce sufficient IL-4 to drive Th2 differentiation. This indicates that autocrine IL-4 production by naive CD4 T cells can drive the appearance of Th2 cells.
Noben-Trauth
Nancy
N
Department of Immunology, The George Washington University, Washington 20037, USA. nnoben@gwu.edu
Hu-Li
Jane
J
Paul
William E
WE
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002999:Clone Cells; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018448:Models, Immunological; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
D000941:Antigens; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C499308:Rag2 protein, mouse; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4; C064655:V(D)J recombination activating protein 2; D015847:Interleukin-4; D010047:Ovalbumin