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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
Isolation and Characterization of Dendritic Cells and Macrophages from the Mouse Intestine
Published on: May 21, 2012
CD2 expression on murine intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes is bimodal and defines proliferative capacity
N Van Houten1, P F Mixter, J Wolfe
1Department of Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington 05405.
Insights
CD2 molecule expression on intestinal lymphocytes impacts T cell activation. CD2- T cells, particularly TCR alpha beta + IEL, show hyporesponsiveness, indicating CD2 absence correlates with nonresponsiveness.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- T cell biology
- Lymphocyte research
Background:
- CD2 molecule is crucial for T cell activation via the T cell receptor (TCR).
- Intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) exhibit a unique bimodal CD2 expression pattern.
- TCR alpha beta + IEL are equally divided into CD2- and CD2+ subsets, while TCR gamma delta + IEL are mostly CD2-.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional significance of CD2 expression on IEL subsets.
- To determine the proliferative response of CD2- and CD2+ IEL to stimulation.
- To compare IEL responsiveness with T cells from autoimmune lpr mice.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometry to analyze CD2 expression on IEL subsets (TCR alpha beta + and TCR gamma delta +).
- In vitro stimulation assays using anti-CD3 mAb, PMA, and ionomycin to assess T cell proliferation.
- Comparison of IEL responses with peripheral T cells from lpr mice.
Main Results:
- CD2+ IEL subsets (both TCR alpha beta + and TCR gamma delta +) proliferated vigorously upon stimulation.
- CD2- IEL subsets showed significantly reduced proliferative responses.
- Activation of CD2- IEL with anti-CD3 mAb led to TCR gamma delta + IEL expansion, but not TCR alpha beta + IEL.
- CD2- T cells from lpr mice also exhibited hyporesponsiveness.
Conclusions:
- CD2 expression is critical for the co-stimulatory function in T cell activation within IEL populations.
- The absence of CD2 on TCR alpha beta + IEL correlates with hyporesponsiveness, suggesting anergy.
- These findings highlight the role of CD2 in T cell activation and have implications for understanding immune responses in the gut and autoimmune conditions.
Abstract:
The CD2 molecule is normally expressed on nearly all murine lymphocytes, and is co-stimulatory in T cell activation via the antigen receptor (TCR). A naturally occurring T lymphocyte population that is bimodal for CD2 expression was found in the intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL). TCR alpha beta + IEL contain CD2- and CD2+ cells of approximately equal proportion, while TCR gamma delta + IEL are predominantly CD2-. The proliferative response of IEL to stimulation with an anti-CD3 mAb or with PMA plus ionomycin co-segregated with CD2 expression; the CD2+ subset proliferated vigorously under these conditions while the CD2- subset was much less responsive. The responding CD2+ IEL contained both TCR alpha beta + and TCR gamma delta + cells. However, activation of the CD2- IEL with anti-CD3 mAb resulted in only the expansion of TCR gamma delta + IEL, while activation with PMA plus ionomycin did not promote expansion of either the TCR alpha beta + or the TCR gamma delta + IEL. These findings parallel observations in the autoimmune lpr mouse, where massive numbers of peripheral TCR alpha beta + CD4-CD8- T cells that lack CD2 expression are also hyporesponsive to mitogenic stimulation. The apparent anergy of CD2- TCR alpha beta + IEL, as well as CD2- T cells from lpr mice, demonstrates that the absence of CD2 on TCR alpha beta + T lymphocytes co-segregates with nonresponsiveness.
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