These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed


  • Title: Transforming growth factor-beta 2 induces apoptosis of murine T cell clones without down-regulating bcl-2 mRNA expression.
    Author: Weller M, Constam DB, Malipiero U, Fontana A.
    Journal: Eur J Immunol; 1994 Jun; 24(6):1293-300. PubMed ID: 8206089.
    Abstract:
    Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) is a potent immunosuppressive cytokine which inhibits the antigen (Ag)-dependent expansion of T cells both in vitro and in vivo by mechanisms not well defined yet. Here we report that exposure of interleukin (IL)-2-dependent T cell lines to TGF beta 2 results in apoptosis defined by morphology, nucleosomal size DNA fragmentation and in situ DNA end labeling. TGF beta 2-induced T cell apoptosis showed the following characteristics: (1) in contrast to the rapid evolution of apoptosis following IL-2 deprivation, apoptosis of T cells triggered by TGF beta 2 was delayed; (2) cycloheximide prevented TGF beta 2-induced apoptosis of CTLL-2 but not of OVA-7 T helper cells; (3) in contrast to apoptosis following IL-2 deprivation, TGF beta 2-mediated T cell apoptosis was not associated with decreased expression of the proto-oncogenes, bcl-2 or c-myc; (4) TGF beta 2-induced apoptosis was not restricted to IL-2-dependent T cell lines since the IL-4-dependent T cell line, CT.4S, as well as EL4 lymphoma cells, which grow independently of exogenous IL-2, were also susceptible to TGF beta 2-mediated apoptosis. Taken together, these data may present a novel mechanism of TGF beta 2-mediated suppression of T cell expansion in response to Ag and IL-2, the activation of the endogenous death program of apoptosis, which appears to operate independently of direct interactions of TGF beta 2 with the IL-2/IL-2 receptor system.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]