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Original Article |
Production in Ccaat/Enhancer Binding Protein
–Deficient Mice
sakira{at}biken.osaka-u.ac.jp
We have investigated in vivo roles of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein
(C/EBP
) by gene targeting. C/EBP
-deficient (C/EBP
2/–) mice showed a high mortality rate within 48 h after birth. To analyze the roles of C/EBP
in lymphoid lineage cells, bone marrow chimeras were established. C/EBP
2/– chimeras showed normal T and B cell development. However, cytolytic functions of their splenic natural killer (NK) cells after stimulation with cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-12, IL-18, and IL-2 were significantly reduced as compared with those of control chimera NK cells. In addition, the ability of C/EBP
–/– chimera splenocytes to produce interferon (IFN)-
in response to IL-12 and/or IL-18 was markedly impaired. NK cells could be generated in vitro with normal surface marker expression in the presence of IL-15 from C/EBP
2/– newborn spleen cells. However, they also showed lower cytotoxic activity and IFN-
production when stimulated with IL-12 plus IL-18 than control NK cells, as observed in C/EBP
2/– chimera splenocytes. In conclusion, our study reveals that C/EBP
is a critical transcription factor involved in the functional maturation of NK cells.
Key Words: gene targeting natural killer cells C/EBP
interleukin 15 interferon 
Abbreviations used in this paper: AP, activator protein; C/EBPs, CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins; IRF, IFN regulatory factor; LT, lymphotoxin; NF, nuclear factor; RAG, recombination activating gene; RT, reverse transcriptase; STAT, signal transducer and activator of transcription.
© 1999 The Rockefeller University Press
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