Effect of human recombinant IL-2 on murine macrophage precursors. Involvement of a receptor distinct from the p55 (Tac) protein.

Homogeneous populations of bone marrow-derived murine macrophage precursors are able to respond to human rIL-2. A prolonged exposure to the lymphokine results in proliferation and in the final differentiation of macrophage precursors to mature macrophages, as shown by follow-up of the antigenic profile by means of cytofluorograph analysis. The frequency of the IL-2-responding cells was 1/48 as determined by limiting dilution analysis, and no cell death was evidenced in soft agar cultures. An analysis of the IL-2-binding sites conducted on bone marrow-derived macrophage precursors revealed the presence of 4000 binding sites with intermediate affinity (Kd approximately 3 x 10(-9)). Bone marrow-derived macrophage precursors did not react, even after prolonged culture in IL-2-conditioned media, with mAb recognizing the binding site (AMT-13, 3C7) or a binding site-associate molecule (7D4) of a Mr 50,000 to 60,000 component of the IL-2R expressed by the IL-2-dependent T cell line CTLL-2. Cross-linking studies showed the presence of a single binding protein, with an apparent Mr of 70,000. Macrophage precursors also proved able to internalize human rIL-2 within the first 20 min of incubation at 37 degrees C. The implications of these findings are discussed.