Interleukin 7 and T cell receptor signals regulate homeostasis of CD4 memory cells.
Immunological memory depends on the long-term maintenance of memory T cells. Although the factors that maintain CD8 T cell memory are well understood, those responsible for CD4 memory are not well defined. We have shown here that interleukin 7 (IL-7) was an important survival factor for CD4 memory T cells that together with T cell receptor (TCR) signals regulated homeostasis of the CD4 memory population in lymphopenic conditions and in the intact immune system. Thus, IL-7 contributes to the maintenance of all naive and memory T cell subsets, and therefore controls the overall size of the T cell pool.
Seddon
Benedict
B
Division of Molecular Immunology, National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK.
Tomlinson
Peter
P
Zamoyska
Rose
R
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006706:Homeostasis; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000032:analysis; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000502:physiology*; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck) / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D051076:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000502:physiology*; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7 / Q000502:physiology
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D015851:Interleukin-7; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7; C064658:RAG-1 protein; C494960:Fyn protein, mouse; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck); D051076:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn