Interleukin 15 signals t84 colonic epithelial cells in the absence
of the interleukin 2 receptor [beta] chain.
Ac, Stevens, Matthews J, Andres P, Baffis V, Zheng Xx, Chae D-W, Smith
J, Strom Tb, Maslinski W.
Divisions of Gastroenterology and Immunology, Department of
Medicine, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA. 02215, Department of Medicine, Sir
Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University,
Montreal (Quebec), Canada H3T 1E2
APStracts 3:0220G, 1996.
Interleukin 15 (IL-15) shares many biological functions with
interleukin 2 (IL-2) due to common receptor components. IL-15 binds
to the IL-2 receptor beta (IL-2R [beta]) and the common _ chain
receptor in addition to one other IL-15 binding receptor protein (IL
-15R [alpha]). Both IL-2R [beta] and _ chains are required to promote
cell growth in hematopoietic cells. The colonic cryptlike epithelial
cell line T84 contains the common _ chain but lacks the IL-2R [beta]
chain. We report IL-15R [alpha] mRNA in T84 cells with reverse
transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. T84 and normal colonic
epithelial cells bind a FLAG-IL-15 fusion protein in immunoperoxidase
and flow cytometric experiments. In addition IL-15, but not IL-2,
accelerates and enhances the development of transepithelial
resistance across T84 monolayers in a dose dependent fashion. We
conclude that normal and T84 colonic epithelial cells express IL-15R
[alpha] receptors and are able to bind IL-15. IL-15 can deliver a
nonproliferative functional signal in the absence of IL-2R [beta]
chain in T84 cells.
Received 11 June 1996; accepted in final form 12 October 1996.
APS Manuscript Number G236-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Gastrointest. Liver
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 5 November 1996