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Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Mouse Naïve CD4+ T Cell Isolation and In vitro Differentiation into T Cell Subsets
Published on: April 16, 2015
Priming for T helper type 2 differentiation by interleukin 2-mediated induction of interleukin 4 receptor alpha-chain
Wei Liao1, Dustin E Schones, Jangsuk Oh
1Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Abstract:
T helper type 2 (T(H)2) cells are essential for humoral immunity and host defense. Interleukin 4 (IL-4) drives T(H)2 differentiation and IL-2 augments the accessibility of Il4 chromatin. Here we demonstrate that IL-2, by inducing binding of STAT5 to the Il4ra locus, which encodes IL-4 receptor alpha-chain (IL-4Ralpha), was essential for inducing and maintaining IL-4Ralpha expression. Although IL-4 induced IL-4Ralpha expression, T cell receptor-induced IL-4Ralpha expression was normal in Il4(-/-) cells but was much lower in Il2(-/-) cells. Notably, forced IL-4Ralpha expression restored the T(H)2 differentiation of Il2(-/-) cells. Moreover, genome-wide mapping by chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with sequencing showed broad interaction of the transcription factors STAT5A and STAT5B with genes associated with T(H)2 differentiation. Our results identify a previously unappreciated function for IL-2 in 'priming' T cells for T(H)2 differentiation and in maintaining the expression of Il4ra and other genes in T(H)2-committed cells.
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