Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1986 Dec 1;164(6):1846–1861. doi: 10.1084/jem.164.6.1846

Changes in the expression of potassium channels during mouse T cell development

PMCID: PMC2188494  PMID: 2431091

Abstract

In this report we have combined the whole-cell electrophysiological recording technique with flow microfluorometry to isolate phenotypically defined thymocytes and T lymphocytes. Results obtained showed that J11d-/Lyt-2-/L3T4- cells express none or very few delayed rectifier K+ channels, whereas most other Lyt-2-/L3T4- cells, as well as typical cortical thymocytes (Lyt-2+/L3T4+), do express K+ channels. Mature (Lyt-2+/L3T4- or Lyt-2-/L3T4+) thymocytes, which are heterogeneous for J11d expression, were also found to be heterogeneous for K+ channel expression. Consistent with this finding was the observation that the cortisone-resistant subpopulation of thymocytes, which express low levels of J11d, were enriched for cells expressing low levels of K+ channels. Mature phenotype peripheral T lymphocytes expressed very low levels of K+ channels, but upon activation with Con A were found to express high levels of K+ channels. The results suggest that K+ channel expression in T cells is developmentally regulated. Increased expression of the channel is induced in response to mitogenic signals throughout the T cell lineage. Expression of the channel, therefore, serves as a useful marker in defining steps in the T cell differentiation pathway.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1,013.4 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Blomgren H., Andersson B. Characteristics of the immunocompetent cells in the mouse thymus: cell population changes during cortisone-induced atrophy and subsequent regeneration. Cell Immunol. 1970 Nov;1(5):545–560. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(70)90041-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bregestovski P., Redkozubov A., Alexeev A. Elevation of intracellular calcium reduces voltage-dependent potassium conductance in human T cells. 1986 Feb 27-Mar 5Nature. 319(6056):776–778. doi: 10.1038/319776a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bruce J., Symington F. W., McKearn T. J., Sprent J. A monoclonal antibody discriminating between subsets of T and B cells. J Immunol. 1981 Dec;127(6):2496–2501. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cahalan M. D., Chandy K. G., DeCoursey T. E., Gupta S. A voltage-gated potassium channel in human T lymphocytes. J Physiol. 1985 Jan;358:197–237. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1985.sp015548. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ceredig R., Dialynas D. P., Fitch F. W., MacDonald H. R. Precursors of T cell growth factor producing cells in the thymus: ontogeny, frequency, and quantitative recovery in a subpopulation of phenotypically mature thymocytes defined by monoclonal antibody GK-1.5. J Exp Med. 1983 Nov 1;158(5):1654–1671. doi: 10.1084/jem.158.5.1654. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ceredig R., MacDonald H. R. Intrathymic differentiation: some unanswered questions. Surv Immunol Res. 1985;4(2):87–95. doi: 10.1007/BF02918805. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ceredig R. Major histocompatibility-restricted cytolytic T-lymphocyte precursors from the thymus of in vivo primed mice: increased frequency and resistance to anti-Lyt-2 antibody inhibition. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1986;126:27–33. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-71152-7_4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Chandy K. G., DeCoursey T. E., Cahalan M. D., McLaughlin C., Gupta S. Voltage-gated potassium channels are required for human T lymphocyte activation. J Exp Med. 1984 Aug 1;160(2):369–385. doi: 10.1084/jem.160.2.369. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. DeCoursey T. E., Chandy K. G., Gupta S., Cahalan M. D. Voltage-dependent ion channels in T-lymphocytes. J Neuroimmunol. 1985 Nov;10(1):71–95. doi: 10.1016/0165-5728(85)90035-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. DeCoursey T. E., Chandy K. G., Gupta S., Cahalan M. D. Voltage-gated K+ channels in human T lymphocytes: a role in mitogenesis? Nature. 1984 Feb 2;307(5950):465–468. doi: 10.1038/307465a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Deutsch C., Krause D., Lee S. C. Voltage-gated potassium conductance in human T lymphocytes stimulated with phorbol ester. J Physiol. 1986 Mar;372:405–423. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1986.sp016016. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Dialynas D. P., Quan Z. S., Wall K. A., Pierres A., Quintáns J., Loken M. R., Pierres M., Fitch F. W. Characterization of the murine T cell surface molecule, designated L3T4, identified by monoclonal antibody GK1.5: similarity of L3T4 to the human Leu-3/T4 molecule. J Immunol. 1983 Nov;131(5):2445–2451. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Farrar J. J., Fuller-Farrar J., Simon P. L., Hilfiker M. L., Stadler B. M., Farrar W. L. Thymoma production of T cell growth factor (Interleukin 2). J Immunol. 1980 Dec;125(6):2555–2558. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Fink P. J., Bevan M. J., Weissman I. L. Thymic cytotoxic T lymphocytes are primed in vivo to minor histocompatibility antigens. J Exp Med. 1984 Feb 1;159(2):436–451. doi: 10.1084/jem.159.2.436. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Fukushima Y., Hagiwara S., Henkart M. Potassium current in clonal cytotoxic T lymphocytes from the mouse. J Physiol. 1984 Jun;351:645–656. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1984.sp015268. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Gillis S., Ferm M. M., Ou W., Smith K. A. T cell growth factor: parameters of production and a quantitative microassay for activity. J Immunol. 1978 Jun;120(6):2027–2032. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. HODGKIN A. L., HUXLEY A. F. A quantitative description of membrane current and its application to conduction and excitation in nerve. J Physiol. 1952 Aug;117(4):500–544. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1952.sp004764. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Ledbetter J. A., Herzenberg L. A. Xenogeneic monoclonal antibodies to mouse lymphoid differentiation antigens. Immunol Rev. 1979;47:63–90. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1979.tb00289.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Lee S. C., Sabath D. E., Deutsch C., Prystowsky M. B. Increased voltage-gated potassium conductance during interleukin 2-stimulated proliferation of a mouse helper T lymphocyte clone. J Cell Biol. 1986 Apr;102(4):1200–1208. doi: 10.1083/jcb.102.4.1200. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Matteson D. R., Deutsch C. K channels in T lymphocytes: a patch clamp study using monoclonal antibody adhesion. Nature. 1984 Feb 2;307(5950):468–471. doi: 10.1038/307468a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Reichert R. A., Weissman I. L., Butcher E. C. Dual immunofluorescence studies of cortisone-induced thymic involution: evidence for a major cortical component to cortisone-resistant thymocytes. J Immunol. 1986 May 15;136(10):3529–3534. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rothenberg E. A specific biosynthetic marker for immature thymic lymphoblasts. Active synthesis of thymus-leukemia antigen restricted to proliferating cells. J Exp Med. 1982 Jan 1;155(1):140–154. doi: 10.1084/jem.155.1.140. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sarmiento M., Glasebrook A. L., Fitch F. W. IgG or IgM monoclonal antibodies reactive with different determinants on the molecular complex bearing Lyt 2 antigen block T cell-mediated cytolysis in the absence of complement. J Immunol. 1980 Dec;125(6):2665–2672. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Scollay R., Bartlett P., Shortman K. T cell development in the adult murine thymus: changes in the expression of the surface antigens Ly2, L3T4 and B2A2 during development from early precursor cells to emigrants. Immunol Rev. 1984 Dec;82:79–103. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1984.tb01118.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Scollay R., Shortman K. Identification of early stages of T lymphocyte development in the thymus cortex and medulla. J Immunol. 1985 Jun;134(6):3632–3642. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Scollay R., Wilson A., Shortman K. Thymus cell migration: analysis of thymus emigrants with markers that distinguish medullary thymocytes from peripheral T cells. J Immunol. 1984 Mar;132(3):1089–1094. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Springer T., Galfrè G., Secher D. S., Milstein C. Monoclonal xenogeneic antibodies to murine cell surface antigens: identification of novel leukocyte differentiation antigens. Eur J Immunol. 1978 Aug;8(8):539–551. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830080802. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Takacs L., Osawa H., Diamantstein T. Detection and localization by the monoclonal anti-interleukin 2 receptor antibody AMT-13 of IL 2 receptor-bearing cells in the developing thymus of the mouse embryo and in the thymus of cortisone-treated mice. Eur J Immunol. 1984 Dec;14(12):1152–1156. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830141217. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Taylor I. W., Milthorpe B. K. An evaluation of DNA fluorochromes, staining techniques, and analysis for flow cytometry. I. Unperturbed cell populations. J Histochem Cytochem. 1980 Nov;28(11):1224–1232. doi: 10.1177/28.11.6159392. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Ypey D. L., Clapham D. E. Development of a delayed outward-rectifying K+ conductance in cultured mouse peritoneal macrophages. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 May;81(10):3083–3087. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.10.3083. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES