Crucial Role of Jak3 in Negative Selection of Self-reactive T Cells

Jak3 mediates growth signals through cytokine receptors such as interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, and IL-7, and its deficiency results in autosomal recessive SCID in mice and humans. In spite of the severely reduced number of lymphocytes in Jak3-deficient mice, the differentiation profile of thymocytes was normal and mature T cells accumulated in the periphery with age. However, we found that self-reactive T cells were not deleted in the thymus and the peripheral tissues in Jak3-deficient mice. All peripheral T cells were in the activation state and thus were unable to be activated further, as demonstrated by the failure of eliciting Ca(2+) response upon T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation. From the analysis of TCR-transgenic Jak3-deficient mice, only self-reactive T cells appeared to be in the activated state and anergic. These findings demonstrate a crucial function of Jak3 in the negative selection of autoreactive T cells and the maintenance of functional peripheral T cells.