IL-15 receptor maintains lymphoid homeostasis by supporting lymphocyte homing and proliferation

  • Immunity. 1998 Nov;9(5):669-76. doi: 10.1016/s1074-7613(00)80664-0.
J P Lodolce  1 ,  D L Boone ,  S Chai ,  R E Swain ,  T Dassopoulos ,  S Trettin ,  A Ma
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
PMID: 9846488 DOI: 10.1016/s1074-7613(00)80664-0
Abstract

The IL-15 Receptor alpha subunit (IL-15Ralpha) mediates high-affinity binding of IL-15, a pleiotropic cytokine implicated in the development of innate immune cells. We have generated IL-15Ralpha null (IL-15Ralpha-/-) mice to understand the role of IL-15Ralpha in immune development and function. IL-15Ralpha-/- mice are markedly lymphopenic despite grossly normal T and B lymphocyte development. This lymphopenia is due to decreased proliferation and decreased homing of IL-15Ralpha-/- lymphocytes to peripheral Lymph Nodes. These mice are also deficient in natural killer cells, natural killer T cells, CD8+ T lymphocytes, and TCRgammadelta intraepithelial lymphocytes. In addition, memory phenotype CD8+ T cells are selectively reduced in number. Thus, IL-15Ralpha has pleiotropic roles in immune development and function, including the positive maintenance of lymphocyte homeostasis.

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