Interleukin-15 up-regulates interleukin-2 receptor alpha chain but down-regulates its own high-affinity binding sites on human T and B cells

The cytokines interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-15 share many biological activities as a consequence of their utilization of the beta and gamma chains of the IL-2 receptor. However, each cytokine binds to a specific receptor alpha chain; IL-2 with low affinity and IL-15 with high affinity. Here, we demonstrate that IL-15, like IL-2, up-regulates expression of IL-2R alpha on human T and B cells, but rapidly down-regulates IL-15 high-affinity binding sites, which represent IL-15 R alpha. This leads to a decreased responsiveness to IL-15 as measured by induction of Jak3 tyrosine phosphorylation. These results suggest a mechanism by which IL-15, a product of activated macrophages, may cooperate with IL-2 at the initiation of an immune response and enhance subsequent IL-2 responsiveness during T cell expansion.