Bax deficiency partially corrects interleukin-7 receptor alpha deficiency.
The requirement for cytokines in hematopoiesis is partly attributable to the protection of cells from apoptosis. Since IL-7 is required for normal T cell development, we evaluated the role of Bax in vivo by generating mice deficient in both Bax and the IL-7 receptor alpha chain (IL-7R). Starting at birth, we observed complete recovery of all stages of alphabeta thymocyte development up to 4 weeks of age. However, by 12 weeks of age, thymic cellularity had reverted to that of mice deficient in IL-7R alone. The BH3 only proteins, Bad and Bim, were also part of the death pathway repressed by IL-7. Thus, in young mice, Bax emerges as an essential protein in the death pathway induced by IL-7 deficiency.
Khaled
Annette R
AR
Laboratory of Molecular Immunoregulation, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute - Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
Li
Wen Qing
WQ
Huang
Jiaqiang
J
Fry
Terry J
TJ
Khaled
Amr S
AS
Mackall
Crystal L
CL
Muegge
Kathrin
K
Young
Howard A
HA
Durum
Scott K
SK
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000502:physiology; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
C494827:Bax protein, mouse; D015851:Interleukin-7; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C415350:interleukin-7 receptor, alpha chain