Suzuki H, Duncan G S, Takimoto H, Mak T W
Amgen Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
J Exp Med. 1997 Feb 3;185(3):499-505. doi: 10.1084/jem.185.3.499.
The interleukin-2 receptor beta chain (IL-2R beta) is expressed on a variety of hematopoietic cell types, including natural killer (NK) cells and nonconventional T lymphocyte subsets such as intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL). However, the importance of IL-2R beta-mediated signaling in the growth and development of these cells has yet to be clearly established. We have investigated IEL and NK cells in mice deficient for IL-2R beta and describe here striking defects in the development of these cells. IL-2R beta-/- mice exhibited an abnormal IEL cell population, characterized by a dramatic reduction in T cell receptor alpha beta CD8 alpha alpha and T cell receptor gamma delta lymphocytes. This selective decrease indicates that IEL can be classified into those whose development and/or differentiation is dependent on IL-2R beta function and those for which IL-2R beta-mediated signaling is not essential. NK cell development was also found to be disrupted in IL-2R beta-deficient mice, characterized by a reduction in NK1.1+CD3- cells in the peripheral circulation and an absence of NK cytotoxic activity in vitro. The dependence of NK cells and certain subclasses of IEL cells on IL-2R beta expression points to an essential role for signaling through this receptor, presumably by IL-2 and/or IL-15, in the development of lymphocyte-subsets of extrathymic origin.
白细胞介素-2受体β链（IL-2Rβ）在多种造血细胞类型上表达，包括自然杀伤（NK）细胞和非常规T淋巴细胞亚群，如肠道上皮内淋巴细胞（IEL）。然而，IL-2Rβ介导的信号传导在这些细胞生长和发育中的重要性尚未明确确立。我们研究了IL-2Rβ缺陷小鼠的IEL和NK细胞，并在此描述了这些细胞发育中的显著缺陷。IL-2Rβ基因敲除小鼠表现出异常的IEL细胞群体，其特征是T细胞受体αβCD8αα和T细胞受体γδ淋巴细胞显著减少。这种选择性减少表明，IEL可分为其发育和/或分化依赖于IL-2Rβ功能的细胞，以及IL-2Rβ介导的信号传导并非必需的细胞。还发现IL-2Rβ缺陷小鼠的NK细胞发育受到破坏，其特征是外周循环中NK1.1+CD3-细胞减少，且体外缺乏NK细胞毒性活性。NK细胞和某些IEL细胞亚类对IL-2Rβ表达的依赖性表明，通过该受体（可能是通过IL-2和/或IL-15）的信号传导在胸腺外起源的淋巴细胞亚群发育中起重要作用。
