Hoffmann, R. A wiki for the life sciences where authorship matters. Nature Genetics (2008)

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Hanisch, U.K. et al.

Hanisch, Lyons, Prinz, Nolte, Weber, Kettenmann, Kirchhoff,

Mouse brain microglia express interleukin-15 and its multimeric receptor complex functionally coupled to Janus kinase activity.

The cytokine, interleukin (IL)-15, and the T cell growth factor, IL-2, exhibit a similar spectrum of immune effects and share the IL-2 receptor ( IL-2R) subunits IL-2Rbeta and IL-2Rgamma for signaling in hematopoietic cells. Numerous neuroregulatory activities of IL-2 have been suggested, but its expression in the normal central nervous system (CNS) is apparently very low and regionally restricted. We show by RNA and protein detection that IL-15, its specific receptor molecule, IL-15Ralpha, and the signal-transducing receptor subunits, IL-2Rbeta and IL-2Rgamma, are constitutively present in various regions of the developing and adult mouse brain. We further demonstrate, also at the single-cell level, that IL-15 and the components for IL-15Ralpha/IL-2Rbetagamma receptors are expressed by microglia. Tyrosine phosphorylation data are presented showing that IL-15 signaling in microglia involves Janus kinase 1 activity. At doses of 0.1-10 ng/ml, IL-15 affected functional properties of these cells, such as the production of nitric oxide, and supported their growth in culture, suggestive of a role as an autocrine growth factor. Microglial IL-15 could thus play a pivotal role in the CNS and may participate in certain CNS and neuroendocrine functions previously ascribed to IL-2.[1]

References

Mouse brain microglia express interleukin-15 and its multimeric receptor complex functionally coupled to Janus kinase activity. Hanisch, U.K., Lyons, S.A., Prinz, M., Nolte, C., Weber, J.R., Kettenmann, H., Kirchhoff, F. J. Biol. Chem. (1997) [Pubmed]

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