Role of IL-2 in rat fetal thymocyte development |
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Authors: | Varas A; Vicente A; Romo T; Zapata AG |
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Institution: | Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain. |
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Abstract: | Early during rat thymus ontogeny, an important proportion of thymocytes
expresses IL-2R and contains IL-2 mRNA. To investigate the role of the
IL-2-IL-2R complex in rat T cell maturation, we supplied either recombinant
rat IL-2 or blocking anti-CD25 mAb to rat fetal thymus organ cultures
(FTOC) under several experimental conditions. The IL-2 treatment initially
stimulated the growth of thymocytes and, as a result, induced T cell
differentiation, but the continuous addition of IL-2 to rat FTOC, as well
as the anti-CD25 administration, resulted in cell number decrease and
inhibition of thymocyte maturation. These results indicate that immature
rat thymocytes bear functional high- affinity IL-2R and that IL-2 promotes
T cell differentiation as a consequence of its capacity to stimulate cell
proliferation. Modifications in TCR alpha beta repertoire and increased
numbers of NKR- P1+ cells, largely NK cells, were also observed in
IL-2-treated FTOC. Furthermore, IL-2-responsiveness of different thymocyte
subsets changed throughout thymic ontogeny. Immature CD4-CD8-cells
responded to IL-2 in two stages, early in thymus development and around
birth, in correlation with the maturation of two distinct waves of thymic
cell progenitors. Mature CD8+ thymocytes maximally responded to IL-2 around
birth, supporting a role for IL-2 in the increased proliferation of mature
thymocytes observed in vivo in the perinatal period. Taken together, these
findings support a role for IL-2 in rat T cell development.
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