Interleukin-15 signals T84 colonic epithelial cells in the absence of the interleukin-2 receptor beta-chain

Interleukin-15 (IL-15) shares many biological functions with interleukin-2 (IL-2) due to common receptor components. IL-15 binds to the IL-2 receptor (IL-BR) beta-chain and the common gamma-chain receptor in addition to one other IL-15 binding receptor protein (IL-15R alpha). Both IL-2R beta- and gamma-chains are required to promote cell growth in hematopoietic cells. The colonic cryptlike epithelial cell line T84 contains the common gamma-chain but lacks the IL-BR beta-chain. We report IL-15R alpha-chain mRNA in T84 cells with the use of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. T84 and normal colonic epithelial cells bind a FLAG-IL-15 fusion protein in immunoperoxidase and flow cytometric experiments. In addition, IL-15, but not IL-2, accelerates and enhances the development of transepithelial resistance across T84 monolayers in a dose-dependent fashion. We conclude that normal and T84 colonic epithelial cells express IL-15R alpha and are able to bind IL-15. IL-15 can deliver a nonproliferative functional signal in the absence of IL-2R beta-chain in T84 cells.