ITK and IL-15 support two distinct subsets of CD8+ T cells.

ABSTRACT: CD8(+) T cells are commonly divided into naïve CD44(lo)CD122(lo) and "memory phenotype" CD44(hi)CD122(hi) cells. Here we show data suggesting that these two cell populations represent independent CD8(+) T cell subsets. Whereas IL-15(-/-) mice lack CD44(hi)CD122(hi) CD8(+) T cells, mice deficient in the kinase ITK lack CD44(lo)CD122(lo) cells among CD8(+) T cells. The same defects were observed during thymus development. CD44(hi)CD122(hi) cells were found among double-positive thymocytes and increased in frequency during CD8 development in wild-type mice. At the mature stage, IL-15(-/-) mice harbored virtually no CD44(hi)CD122(hi) CD8(+) thymocytes. In contrast, ITK(-/-) mice lacked CD44(lo)CD122(lo) CD8(+) cells at this stage. We generated mice with genetic deletions in both IL-15 and ITK

SUBMITTER: Dubois S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1567699 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature