Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Parasite Immunol. 2011 Sep;33(9):512-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2011.01298.x.
A genetic dissection approach was employed to determine whether the IL-2 receptor complex (IL-2R) comprised of α, β and γ chains is required for the suppression of Plasmodium chabaudi adami parasitemia. Blood-stage infections in IL-2Rγ(c)(-/y) mice failed to cure with parasitemia remaining elevated for > 50 days indicating the IL-2Rγ(c) through which all members of the γ(c) family of cytokines signal has an essential role in protective immunity against blood-stage malarial parasites. In contrast, the curing of parasitemia in IL-2/15Rβ⁻/⁻ mice, deficient in both IL-2 and IL-15 signalling was significantly delayed but did occur, indicating that neither cytokine plays an essential role in parasite clearance. Moreover, the observation that the time course of parasitemia in IL-15⁻/⁻ mice was nearly identical to that seen in controls suggests that the parasitemia-suppressing role of stimulating through the IL-2/15Rβ chain is owing to IL-2 signalling and not a redundant function of IL-15.
采用基因敲除的方法确定白细胞介素-2 受体复合物（IL-2R）的 α、β 和 γ 链是否对抑制疟原虫（Plasmodium chabaudi adami）感染至关重要。IL-2Rγ(c)(-/y) 敲除鼠在感染血期疟原虫后未能治愈，寄生虫血症持续升高超过 50 天，表明所有 γ(c)细胞因子家族成员都通过 IL-2Rγ(c)信号发挥作用，在抗血期疟原虫感染的保护性免疫中具有重要作用。相比之下，IL-2/15Rβ⁻/⁻ 敲除鼠（缺乏 IL-2 和 IL-15 信号）治愈寄生虫血症的时间明显延迟，但最终也能治愈，表明这两种细胞因子都不是清除寄生虫所必需的。此外，观察到 IL-15⁻/⁻ 敲除鼠的寄生虫血症时间进程与对照组几乎相同，这表明通过 IL-2/15Rβ 链刺激发挥的寄生虫血症抑制作用是由于 IL-2 信号，而不是 IL-15 的冗余功能。
