DOES THE IL-2 RECEPTOR-ALPHA CHAIN INDUCED ON DENDRITIC CELLS HAVE A BIOLOGICAL FUNCTION

The IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) alpha chain (CD25), but not the IL-2R beta c hain, is induced on dendritic cells (DC) by brief periods of culture. To test if this IL-2R alpha is important for DC function, DC were isol ated from the spleens of mutant mice with the IL-2R alpha gene disrupt ed and compared with normal DC for ability to stimulate proliferation of allogeneic CD4 and CD8 T cells in culture. The IL-2R alpha null DC and the normal DC produced nearly identical proliferative responses fr om CD4 and from CD8 T cells. When the CD8 alpha(+) and CD8 alpha(-) su bsets of the IL-2R alpha null DC were separated, they also produced pr oliferative responses similar to that of their normal DC counterparts. Overall there was no evidence that the inducible IL-2R alpha on DC wa s required for DC development, for stimulation of T cells or for regul ation of T cell responses.