CD4 regulatory T cells prevent lethal autoimmunity in IL-2Rbeta-deficient mice. Implications for the nonredundant function of IL-2.
Lethal autoimmunity associated with IL-2Rbeta-deficient mice is prevented after thymic transgenic expression of wild-type IL-2Rbeta in IL-2Rbeta(-/-) mice (Tg -/- mice). Here, we show that CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells were not readily detected in IL-2Rbeta(-/-) mice, but the production of functional CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells was reconstituted in Tg -/- mice. Adoptive transfer of normal CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells into neonatal IL-2Rbeta-deficient mice prevented this lethal autoimmune syndrome. The CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells in disease-free adult IL-2Rbeta-deficient recipient mice were present at a near normal frequency, were solely donor-derived, and depended on IL-2 for expansion. These observations indicate that the essential function of the IL-2/IL-2R system primarily lies at the level of the production of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33101, USA. tmalek@med.miami.edu
Thomas R
TR
Malek
Aixin
A
Yu
Vladimir
V
Vincek
Paul
P
Scibelli
Lin
L
Kong
D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D005260:Female; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology
D015415:Biomarkers; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2