Studies on the interleukin-2 receptor, its generation and dynamics using monoclonal anti-interleukin-2 receptor antibodies

There is increasing evidence suggesting that the monoclonal antibodies ART-18, AMT-13 and anti-Tac recognize species-specific antigenic determinants of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptors of rat, mouse and human origin, respectively. In order to compare directly the molecules (glycoproteins) recognized by these antibodies, concanavalin A (ConA) activated T-lymphocytes of the respective species were surface labeled with ¹²⁵I, after which the materials immunoprecipitated by the appropriate anti-IL-2 receptor antibodies were subjected to SDS-PAGE analysis. The noncross-reacting antibodies ART-18 and AMT-13 both precipitated a 50–55-kD molecule. The anti-Tac-reactive material (the putative human IL-2 receptor) is considerably different (60–65 kD) from those precipitated by antibodies ART-18 and AMT-13 (the putative rat and mouse IL-2 receptors). An indirect binding assay using the anti-mouse IL-2 receptor antibody AMT-13 showed that, after addition of ConA to spleen cell cultures, T-lymphocytes expressed IL-2 receptors before the onset of the ConA-induced DNA synthesis. The ConA-induced expression of the IL-2 receptor is apparently a transient event. IL-2 receptor bearing cells progressively lost their receptors (within 6 days) when recultured in the absence of ConA. Cells re-exposed to ConA regained IL-2 receptors. Short exposure of T-cells (thymocytes) to ConA or the nonmitogenic compound phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) is not sufficient to trigger IL-2 receptor expression. Murine thymocytes incubated with PMA for 30 min or with ConA for 4 hr (mitogen-pulsed T-cells) failed to bind the anti-IL-2 receptor antibody AMT-13 and to absorb IL-2 activity present in semipurified IL-2 preparations, but they proliferated vigorously in response to the same IL-2 preparations. The IL-2 preparations, when absorbed with thymocytes, lost: (1) the capacity to generate IL-2 receptors, and (2) the capacity to induce proliferation of mitogen-pulsed cells; but they retained the capacity to induce proliferation of T-lymphoblasts. These results suggest the existence of a factor, IL-2 receptor inducing factor (RIF), present in the IL-2 preparations. It is postulated that RIF is a prerequisite for the acquisition of IL-2 receptors and consequently for IL-2 responsiveness by lectin-activated cells.