Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Antigen-specific murine T cell clones produce soluble interleukin 2 receptor on stimulation with specific antigens

Journal Article · · J. Immunol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5459230

In this study, monoclonal antibodies were used to the murine IL 2 receptor (IL 2R) termed 3C7 and 7D4, which bind to different epitopes on the murine IL 2R, to develop an ELISA to measure soluble murine IL 2R. Surprisingly, stimulated murine spleen cells not only expressed cell-associated IL 2R, but also produced a considerable level of cellfree IL 2R in the culture supernatant fluid. To assess the fine specificity of this response, myoglobin-immune murine T cell clones were stimulated with appropriate or inappropriate antigen and syngeneic or allogeneic presenting cells. Proliferation, measured by (/sup 3/H) thymidine incorporation, and levels of soluble IL 2R were determined at day 4. The production of soluble IL2R displayed the same epitope fine specificity, genetic restriction, and antigen dose-response as the proliferative response. Indeed, in some cases there was sharper discrimination of epitope specificity and genetic restriction with the soluble IL 2R levels. There was also reproducible clone-to-clone variation in the amount of soluble receptor produced in response to antigen among 12 T cell clones and lines tested. In time course experiments, proliferation was greatest at day 3, whereas soluble IL 2R levels continued to rise in subsequent days. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first demonstration of release of secretion of soluble IL 2R by murine T cells, and the first demonstration of the fine specificity and genetic restriction of the induction of soluble IL 2R by specific antigen.

Research Organization:
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
OSTI ID:
5459230
Journal Information:
J. Immunol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Immunol.; (United States) Vol. 137:2; ISSN JOIMA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English