IL-33 activates unprimed murine basophils directly in vitro and induces their in vivo expansion indirectly by promoting hematopoietic growth factor production.
IL-33, a new member of the IL-1 family, has been described as an important inducer of Th2 cytokines and mediator of inflammatory responses. In this study, we demonstrate that murine basophils sorted directly from the bone marrow, without prior exposure to IL-3 or Fc(epsilon)R cross-linking, respond to IL-33 alone by producing substantial amounts of histamine, IL-4, and IL-6. These cells express ST2 constitutively and generate a cytokine profile that differs from their IL-3-induced counterpart by a preferential production of IL-6. In vivo, IL-33 promotes basophil expansion in the bone marrow (BM) through an indirect mechanism of action depending on signaling through the beta(c) chain shared by receptors for IL-3, GM-CSF, and IL-5. IL-3 can still signal through its specific beta(IL-3) chain in these mutant mice, which implies that it is not the unique growth-promoting mediator in this setup, but requires IL-5 and/or GMCSF. Our results support a major role of the latter growth factor, which is readily generated by total BM cells as well as sorted basophils in response to IL-33 along with low amounts of IL-3. Furthermore, GM-CSF amplifies IL-3-induced differentiation of basophils from BM cells, whereas IL-5 that is also generated in vivo, affects neither their functions nor their growth in vitro or in vivo. In conclusion, our data provide the first evidence that IL-33 not only activates unprimed basophils directly, but also promotes their expansion in vivo through induction of GM-CSF and IL-3.
Schneider
Elke
E
Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Médecine-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 8147, Paris, France. schneider@necker.fr
Petit-Bertron
Anne-France
AF
Bricard
Rachel
R
Levasseur
Mélanie
M
Ramadan
Abdelrauf
A
Girard
Jean-Philippe
JP
Herbelin
André
A
Dy
Michel
M
D000818:Animals; D001491:Basophils / Q000166:cytology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D015848:Interleukin-5; D007378:Interleukins / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors; C506535:Il33 protein, mouse; D007377:Interleukin-3; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D015848:Interleukin-5; D007378:Interleukins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor