Reassessment of interactions between hematopoietic receptors using common beta-chain and interleukin-3-specific receptor beta-chain-null cells: No evidence of functional interactions with receptors for erythropoietin, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, or stem cell factor

Abstract

Mice lacking both the gene encoding the shared receptor for granulocyte macro-phage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-3 (IL-3), and IL-5 common β-chain (B(c)) and the gene for the IL-3 specific receptor (BIL3)were generated. This was achieved by targeting the B(c) locus in embryonic stem cells that were heterozygous for a null mutation of BIL3. Cells from mice generated with the doubly targeted embryonic stem cells were unresponsive to all 3 cytokines. Considerable previous data suggested a role for common beta-chain (β(c)) in modulating signaling of cytokines including erythropoietin (EPO), G-CSF, and stem cell factor (SCF). However, bone marrow cells from mice lacking β(c) an..