OX40 ligand and CD30 ligand are expressed on adult but not neonatal CD4+CD3- inducer cells: evidence that IL-7 signals regulate CD30 ligand but not OX40 ligand expression.

In this report, we have examined the expression of the T cell survival signals, OX40 ligand (OX40L) and CD30 ligand (CD30L) on CD4(+)CD3(-)CD11c(-)B220(-)IL-7Ralpha(+) inducer cells from birth to adulthood in mice. We found that adult but not neonatal inducer cells expressed high levels of OX40L and CD30L, whereas their expression of TNF-related activation-induced cytokine (TRANCE) and receptor activator of NF-kappaB (RANK) was comparable. The failure of neonatal inducer cells to express the ligands that rescue T cells helps to explain why exposure to Ag in neonatal life induces tolerance rather than immunity. The expression of OX40L and CD30L on inducer cells increased gradually in the first few weeks of life achieving essentially normal levels around the time mice were weaned. We found that IL-7 signaling through the common cytokine receptor gamma-chain was critical for the optimal expression of both TNF-related activation-induced cytokine and CD30L but not OX40L. Furthermore, glucocorticoids, which potently suppress T effector function, did not influence the expression of OX40L and CD30L in the presence of IL-7.