ICOS is an inducible T-cell co-stimulator structurally and functionally related to CD28

Andreas Hutloff, Anna M. Dittrich, Katja C. Beier, Barbara Eljaschewitsch, Regine Kraft, Ionnis Anagnostopoulos and Richard A. Kroczek ()
Additional contact information
Andreas Hutloff: Molecular Immunology, Robert Koch-Institut
Anna M. Dittrich: Molecular Immunology, Robert Koch-Institut
Katja C. Beier: Molecular Immunology, Robert Koch-Institut
Barbara Eljaschewitsch: Molecular Immunology, Robert Koch-Institut
Regine Kraft: Department of Protein Chemistry Max-Delbrck-Centrum
Ionnis Anagnostopoulos: Institute of Pathology, Klinikum Benjamin Franklin, Freie Universitt Berlin
Richard A. Kroczek: Molecular Immunology, Robert Koch-Institut

Nature, 1999, vol. 402, issue 6763, 21-24

Abstract: Abstract Originally published as Nature 397, 263–266; 1999 The T-cell-specific cell-surface receptors CD28 and CTLA-4 are important regulators of the immune system. CD28 potently enhances those T-cell functions that are essential for an effective antigen-specific immune response1,2,3,4,5, and the homologous CTLA-4 counterbalances the CD28-mediated signals and thus prevents an otherwise fatal overstimulation of the lymphoid system6,7,8,9. Here we report the identification of a third member of this family of molecules, inducible co-stimulator (ICOS), which is a homodimeric protein of relative molecular mass 55,000–60,000 ( Mr 55K–60K). Matching CD28 in potency, ICOS enhances all basic T-cell responses to a foreign antigen, namely proliferation, secretion of lymphokines, upregulation of molecules that mediate cell–cell interaction, and effective help for antibody secretion by B cells. Unlike the constitutively expressed CD28, ICOS has to be de novo induced on the T-cell surface, does not upregulate the production of interleukin-2, but superinduces the synthesis of interleukin-10, a B-cell-differentiation factor. In vivo, ICOS is highly expressed on tonsillar T cells, which are closely associated with B cells in the apical light zone of germinal centres, the site of terminal B-cell maturation. Our results indicate that ICOS is another major regulator of the adaptive immune system.

Date: 1999
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/35005523 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:nature:v:402:y:1999:i:6763:d:10.1038_35005523

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/

DOI: 10.1038/35005523

Access Statistics for this article

Nature is currently edited by Magdalena Skipper

More articles in Nature from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().