BONE-MARROW AND THYMUS EXPRESSION OF INTERFERON-GAMMA RESULTS IN SEVERE B-CELL LINEAGE REDUCTION, T-CELL LINEAGE ALTERATIONS, AND HEMATOPOIETIC PROGENITOR DEFICIENCIES
Ha. Young et al., BONE-MARROW AND THYMUS EXPRESSION OF INTERFERON-GAMMA RESULTS IN SEVERE B-CELL LINEAGE REDUCTION, T-CELL LINEAGE ALTERATIONS, AND HEMATOPOIETIC PROGENITOR DEFICIENCIES, Blood, 89(2), 1997, pp. 583-595
Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is an immunoregulatory lymphokine that is
primarily produced by T cells and natural killer cells. It has effect
s on T-cell, B-cell, and macrophage differentiation and maturation. We
have developed transgenic mice that express elevated levels of IFN-ga
mma mRNA and protein by inserting multiple copies of murine IFN-gamma
genomic DNA containing an Ig lambda-chain enhancer in the first intron
. The founder line carrying eight copies of this transgene has eightfo
ld to 15-fold more IFN-gamma-producing cells in the bone marrow and sp
leen than do nontransgenic littermates. Transgenic mice show a pronoun
ced reduction in B-lineage cells in the bone marrow, spleen, and lymph
nodes. In addition, single positive (CD4(+),CD8(-) and CD4(-),CD8(+))
thymocyte numbers are increased twofold, yet the number of splenic T
cells is reduced by 50%. There is also a twofold to threefold decrease
in the frequency and total number of myeloid progenitors in the bone
marrow. Granulomatous lesions and residual degenerating cartilaginous
masses are also present in the bones of these mice. Overall, our data
show that the abnormal expression of IFN-gamma in these transgenic mic
e results in multiple alterations in the immune system. These animals
provide an important model to examine the role of IFN-gamma expression
on lymphoid and myeloid differentiation and function. This is a US go
vernment work. There are no restrictions on its use.