| First Author | Lodolce JP | Year | 1998 |
| Journal | Immunity | Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 669-76 |
| PubMed ID | 9846488 | Mgi Jnum | J:51337 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1315114 | Doi | 10.1016/s1074-7613(00)80664-0 |
| Citation | Lodolce JP, et al. (1998) IL-15 receptor maintains lymphoid homeostasis by supporting lymphocyte homing and proliferation. Immunity 9(5):669-76 |
| abstractText | 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. |
