Involvement of the interleukin-2 receptor gamma subunit in interleukin-4-dependent activation of mouse hematopoietic cells and splenic B cells.

Interleukin-4 (IL-4) has various activities on B cells and on hematopoietic cells. We previously reported that TUGm2, a monoclonal antibody to the gamma subunit of the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R gamma), inhibited IL-4-dependent proliferation of CTLL2, a cytotoxic T cell line. We proposed that IL-2R gamma is required for the functional IL-4 receptor (IL-4R) in T cells. In the present work, we further examined whether or not IL-2R gamma is involved in IL-4R function in mouse myeloid cell lines and splenic B cells. TUGm2 suppressed the IL-4-induced proliferation of BA/F3 or IC2 cells, as well as of purified splenic B cells. TUGm2 partially suppressed proliferation of B cells induced by the combination of IL-4 and anti-immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody. In contrast, TUGm2 had no effect on proliferation of B cells induced by anti-IgM antibody alone or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). TUGm2 also inhibited IgE production induced by IL-4 of LPS-stimulated B cells. The induction of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules or CD23 by IL-4 was virtually unaffected by TUGm2 antibody. These results indicate that IL-2R gamma is differentially involved in various IL-4-dependent reactions.