Hematopoiesis in mice lacking the entire granulocyte-macrophage colony- stimulating factor/interleukin-3/interleukin-5 functions

Abstract

Interleukin-3 (IL-3), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and IL-5 are major hematopoietic cytokines produced by activated T cells and exhibit similar biologic activities by signaling through a common receptor subunit (βc). Mice lacking βc show a pulmonary alveolar proteinosis-like disease and reduced numbers of peripheral eosinophils, which are explained by the lack of GM-CSF and IL-5 function, respectively. However, βc-deficient hematopoietic cells do respond to IL-3 normally, probably through an additional β subunit of the IL-3 receptor (β(IL3)) that is present in the mouse. Thus, almost normal hematopoiesis in βc-deficient mice may be caused by functional redundancy between IL-3 and GM-CSF. To clarify the role of the entire IL-3/GM-CSF/IL-5 system in hematopoiesis in vivo, we crossed the βc mutant mice with mice deficient for IL-3 ligand to generate mice lacking the entire IL-3/GM-CSF/IL-5 functions. The double-mutant mice were apparently normal and fertile. The severity of the lung pathology in theβc/IL-3 double-mutant mice was the same as that of the βc mutant mice. The double-mutant mice showed normal hemodynamic parameters except for reduced numbers of eosinophils and the lack of eosinophilic response to parasites, which were also found in βc mutant mice. The immune response of the βc/IL-3 double-mutant mice to Listeria monocytogenes was normal, as was hematopoietic recovery after administration of the cytotoxic drug, 5- fluorouracil. Although it has been believed that IL-3/GM-CSF/IL-5 produced by activated T cells play a major role in expansion of hematopoietic cells in emergency, our results indicate that the entire function of IL-3/GM-CSF/IL-5 is dispensable for hematopoiesis in emergency as well as in the steady state. Thus, there must be an alternative mechanism to produce blood cells in both situations.