Suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 regulates IL-15 receptor signaling in CD8+CD44high memory T lymphocytes

T lymphocyte survival, proliferation, and death in the periphery are dependent on several cytokines. Many of these cytokines induce the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS1), a feedback inhibitor of JAK kinases. However, it is unclear whether the cytokines that regulate T lymphocyte homeostasis are critically regulated by SOCS1 in vivo. Using SOCS1(-/-)IFN-gamma(-/-) mice we show that SOCS1 deficiency causes a lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by decreased CD4/CD8 ratio due to chronic accumulation of CD8(+)CD44(high) memory phenotype T cells. SOCS1-deficient CD8(+) T cells express elevated levels of IL-2Rbeta, show increased proliferative response to IL-15 and IL-2 in vitro, and undergo increased bystander proliferation and vigorous homeostatic expansion in vivo. Sorted CD8(+)CD44(high) T cells from SOCS1(-/-)IFN-gamma(-/-) mice respond 5 times more strongly than control cells, indicating that SOCS1 is a critical regulator of IL-15R signaling. Consistent with this idea, IL-15 stimulates sustained STAT5 phosphorylation in SOCS1-deficient CD8(+) T cells. IL-15 strongly induces TNF-alpha production in SOCS1-deficient CD8(+) T cells, indicating that SOCS1 is also a critical regulator of CD8(+) T cell activation by IL-15. However, IL-15 and IL-2 induce comparable levels of Bcl-2 and Bcl-X-L in SOCS1-deficient and SOCS1-sufficient CD8(+) T cells, suggesting that cytokine receptor signals required for inducing proliferation and cell survival signals are not identical. These results show that SOCS1 differentially regulates common gamma-chain cytokine signaling in CD8(+) T cells and suggest that CD8(+) T cell homeostasis is maintained by distinct mechanisms that control cytokine-mediated survival and proliferation signals.