Abstract
ANTIGEN receptor stimulation of mature αβ T lymphocytes can lead either to proliferation or death1–4. Programmed cell death, termed apoptosis, leads to the clonal deletion of both thymocytes and mature T cells that establishes tolerance5–9. How a mature T cell selects between proliferation and death is not understood. Here I show that interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a critical determinant of the choice between these two fates. Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells previously exposed to IL-2 undergo apoptosis after antigen-receptor stimulation. Antibody blockade of IL-2 but not IL-4 reverses the marked reduction of lymph node Vβ8+ T cells caused in mice by the bacterial superantigen Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B. IL-2 may thus participate in a feedback regulatory mechanism by predisposing mature T lymphocytes to apoptosis.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Kawabe, Y. & Ochi, A. Nature 349, 245–248 (1991).
Russell, J. H., White, C. L., Loh, D. Y. & Meleedy-Rey, P. Proc. natn. Acad Sci. U.S.A. 88, 2151–2155 (1991).
Liu, Y. & Janeway, C. A. Jr J. exp. Med. 172, 1735–1739 (1990).
Webb, S., Morris, C. & Sprent, J. Cell 63, 1249–1256 (1990).
Smith, C. A., Williams, G. T., Kingston, R., Jenkinson, E. R. & Owen, J. T. Nature 337, 181–184 (1989).
MacDonald, H. R. & Lees, R. K. Nature 343, 642–644 (1990).
Murphy, K. M., Heimberger, A. B. & Loh, D. Y. Science 250, 1720–1723 (1990).
Jones, L. A., Chin, L. T., Longo, D. L. & Kruisbeek, A. M. Science 250, 1726–1729 (1990).
Rocha, B. & von Boehmer, H. Science 251, 1225–1228 (1991).
Hecht, T. T., Longo, D. L. & Matis, L. A. J. Immun. 131, 1049 (1983).
Ashwell, J. D., Robb, R. J. & Malek, T. R. J. Immun. 137, 2572–2578 (1986).
Nau, G. J., Moldwin, R. L., Lancki, D. W., Kim, D-K., & Fitch, F. W. J. Immun. 139, 114–122 (1987).
Williams, M. E., Lichtman, A. H. & Abbas, A. K. J. Immun. 144, 1208–1214 (1990).
Weaver, C. T., Hawrylowicz, C. M. & Unanue, E. R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 8181–8185 (1988).
Mueller, D. L., Jenkins, M. K. & Schwartz, R. H. J. Immun 142, 2617–2628 (1989).
Leo, O., Foo, M., Sachs, D. H., Samelson, L. E. & Bluestone, J. A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 1374–1378 (1987).
Staerz, U. D., Rammensee, H-G., Benedetto, J. D. & Bevan, M. J. J. Immun. 134, 3994–4000 (1985).
Kanagawa, D. J. exp. Med. 170, 1513–1519 (1989).
White, J. et al. Cell 56, 27–35 (1989).
Haskins, K. et al. J. exp. Med. 160, 452–471 (1984).
Malek, T. R., Ortega R. G., Jakway, J. P., Chan, C. & Shevach, E. M. J. Immun. 133, 1976–1982 (1984).
Tentori, L., Longo, D. L., Zúñiga-Pflücker, J. C., Wing, C. & Kruisbeek, A. M. J. exp. Med. 168, 1741–1747 (1988).
Ohara, J. & Paul, W. E. Nature 315, 333–336 (1985).
Finkelman, F. D. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 9675–9678 (1986).
Monod, J. & Jacob, F. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. quant. Biol. 26, 389–401 (1961).
Marrack, P., Blackman, M., Kushner, E. & Kappler, J. J. exp. Med. 171, 455–464 (1990).
Penit, C. & Vasseur, F. J. Immun. 140, 3315–3323 (1988).
Janssen, O. et al. J. Immun. 146, 35–39 (1991).
Crispe, I. N., Bevan, M. J. & Staerz, U. D. Nature 317, 627–629 (1985).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lenardo, M. lnterleukin-2 programs mouse αβ T lymphocytes for apoptosis. Nature 353, 858–861 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/353858a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/353858a0
This article is cited by
-
Infants with Down syndrome and congenital heart disease have altered peri-operative immune responses
Pediatric Research (2022)
-
Activation-induced cell death in CAR-T cell therapy
Human Cell (2022)
-
TIM-3 drives temporal differences in restimulation-induced cell death sensitivity in effector CD8+ T cells in conjunction with CEACAM1
Cell Death & Disease (2021)
-
FOXP3 protects conventional human T cells from premature restimulation-induced cell death
Cellular & Molecular Immunology (2021)
-
Exploring the Pathogenic Role and Therapeutic Implications of Interleukin 2 in Autoimmune Hepatitis
Digestive Diseases and Sciences (2021)