The Journal of Experimental Medicine
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© The Rockefeller University Press, 0022-1007/1997/7/101/ $5.00
The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Volume 186, Number 1, July 7, 1997 101-107


Articles

A Role for CD4 in Peripheral T Cell Differentiation

Daniel R. Brown*, Naomi H. Moskowitz*, Nigel Killeen{ddagger}, and Steven L. Reiner*

From the * Department of Medicine, Committee on Immunology and Gwen Knapp Center for Lupus and Immunology Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637; and {ddagger} Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143

Naive CD4+ T helper cells (Th) differentiate into one of two well-defined cell types during immune responses. Mature Th1 and Th2 cells regulate the type of response as a consequence of the unique cytokines that they secrete. CD4 serves a prominent role in potentiating antigen recognition by helper T cells. We have examined the role of CD4 in peripheral T cell differentiation by studying helper T cells from mice with a congenital defect in CD4 expression. After protein immunization or infection with Leishmania major, CD4-deficient mice were incapable of mounting antigen-specific Th2 responses, but retained their Th1 potency. CD4-deficient, T cell receptor transgenic T cells were also incapable of Th2 differentiation after in vitro activation. Expression of a wild-type CD4 transgene corrected the Th2 defect of CD4-deficient mice in all immune responses tested. To investigate the role of the cytoplasmic domain, mice reconstituted with a truncated CD4 molecule were also studied. Expression of the tailless CD4 transgene could not rescue the Th2 defect of CD4-deficient mice immunized with protein or CD4-deficient transgenic T cells activated in vitro, raising the possibility that the cytoplasmic domain of CD4 may influence Th2 generation. Expression of the tailless transgene was, however, capable of restoring Th2 development in CD4-deficient mice infected with L. major or CD4-deficient transgenic T cells activated in the presence of recombinant IL-4, demonstrating that the cytoplasmic domain is not absolutely required for Th2 development. Together, these results demonstrate a previously undescribed role of the CD4 molecule. The requirement for CD4 in Th2 maturation reflects the importance of molecules other than cytokines in the control of helper T cell differentiation.


Address correspondence to S. Reiner, University of Chicago, 924 East 57th St., R420, Chicago, IL 60637-5420.

D.R. Brown was supported by the University of Chicago Medical Scientist Training Program and Immunology Training grant AI-07090. This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants AI-01309 to S.L. Reiner and AI-39506 to N. Killeen. S.L. Reiner is supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

1Abbreviations used in this paper: β2m, β2-microglobulin; CD4°, CD4-deficient; CD4{Delta}cyt, CD4 mutant lacking the cytoplasmic tail; CD4WT, wild-type CD4; mRNA, messenger RNA.


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