Essential roles of CD8+CD122+ regulatory T cells in the maintenance of T cell homeostasis

Regulation of immune system is of paramount importance to prevent immune attacks against self-components. Mice deficient in the interleukin (IL)-2/IL-15 receptor beta chain, CD122, are model animals of such immune attacks and characteristically have a high number of abnormally activated T cells. Here, we show that the transfer of CD8(+)CD122(+) cells into CD122-deficient neonates totally prevented the development of abnormal T cells. Furthermore, recombination activating gene-2(-/-) nice that received wild-type mice-derived CD8(+)CD122(-) cells died within 10 wk after cell transfer, indicating that normal CD8(+)CD122- cells become dangerously activated T cells in the absence of CD8(+)CD122(+) T cells. CD8(+)CD122(+) cells could control activated CD8(+) or CD4(+) T cells both in vivo and in vitro. Our results indicate that the CD8(+)CD122(+) population includes naturally occurring CD8(+) regulatory T cells that control potentially dangerous T cells.