title: Essential role for interleukin-2 for CD4(+)CD25(+) T regulatory cell development during the neonatal period.
abstract: Although many aspects of CD4(+)CD25(+) T regulatory (T(reg)) cell development remain largely unknown, signaling through the IL-2R represents one feature for the production of T(reg) cells. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to further define early developmental steps in the production of T(reg) cells, including a more precise view on the role of interleukin (IL)-2 in this process. After adoptive transfer of wild-type T(reg) cells into neonatal IL-2Rbeta(-/-) mice, only a small fraction of donor T(reg) cells selectively seeded the lymph node (LN). These donor T(reg) cells underwent rapid and extensive IL-2-dependent proliferation, followed by subsequent trafficking to the spleen. Thus, IL-2 is essential for T(reg) cell proliferation in neonatal LN. The number and distribution of T(reg) cells in the periphery of normal neonatal mice closely paralleled that seen for IL-2Rbeta(-/-) mice that received T(reg) cells. However, for normal neonates, blockade of IL-2 decreased T(reg) cells in both the thymus and LN. Therefore, two steps of T(reg) cell development depend upon IL-2 in neonatal mice, thymus production, and subsequent expansion in the LN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Allison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bayer
authors.forename: Aixin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adeegbe
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Malek
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2