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Results for “Interleukin-2 Receptor beta Subunit”

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PubMed1991

Cross-linking of VLA/CD29 molecule has a co-mitogenic effect with anti-CD3 on CD4 cell activation in serum-free culture system.

In this study, we demonstrated that antibodies reactive with a common beta 1 subunit (CD29) of the VLA family of antigens could synergize with CD3 but not CD2 in inducing CD4 cell proliferation in a serum-free culture system. The extent of activation was similar to that obtained when CD4 cells were cultured with anti-CD3 plus fibronectin. The proliferative response induced via the CD3-CD29 pathway was associated with the interleukin (IL) 2 autocrine pathway, including IL 2 production and IL 2 receptor expression. Specifically, cross-linking of VLA-5, but not other members of the VLA family of antigens with the CD3 molecule induced strong CD4 cell activation. However, cross-linking of CD3 with other cell surface antigens such as CD4 did not induce CD4 cell activation in this serum-free culture system. The above results strongly suggest that the VLA/CD29 family of antigens may play an important role in regulating CD4 T cell activation via the CD3-T cell receptor pathway.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed1992

T-lymphocyte proliferation: tyrosine kinases in interleukin 2 signal transduction.

Interleukin 2 (IL-2)-induced tyrosine phosphorylation appears to play a major role in IL-2-induced cellular proliferation. Several intracellular substrates including the beta chain of the IL-2 receptor complex (IL-2R beta), raf, MAP2 kinase, the regulatory 83 kDa subunit of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase and S6 kinases are substrates for the IL-2 receptor activated kinase(s). However, none of the identified members of the IL-2 receptor complex exhibits intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. Therefore, the IL-2R complex must activate intracellular tyrosine kinases. We have demonstrated that specific tyrosine and serine/threonine kinases are coprecipitated with IL-2 receptor constructs that mediate IL-2-induced cell proliferation but not with those that do not. The IL-2-activated tyrosine kinase appears to be associated with a serine and proline rich intracellular domain which is highly conserved between IL-2R beta and the erythropoietin receptor. Although the responsible kinase has not been identified, lck, fyn, fgr, ltk, hck and lyn can be ruled out as obligatory mediators. Using methods to clone tyrosine kinases from T cells, we have identified potential candidate kinases, including several which had not been known to be expressed by T lymphocytes as well as several unique kinases which had not been previously identified in any cell type.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1992

The interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R): the IL-2R alpha subunit alters the function of the IL-2R beta subunit to enhance IL-2 binding and signaling by mechanisms that do not require binding of IL-2 to IL-2R alpha subunit.

Interleukin 2 (IL-2)-mediated signaling through its high-affinity receptor involves a complex interrelationship between IL-2 and two IL-2-binding chains, IL-2R alpha and beta chains. Previously with the reagents available it was difficult to define functional interactions between these two IL-2R subunits involved in IL-2 binding and signal transduction. To extend our understanding of the interplay between the two binding subunits we have done studies with the monoclonal antibody HIEI, which interferes with interaction of IL-2R alpha and beta chains (IL-2R alpha and IL-2R beta, respectively). Furthermore, we used two forms of IL-2, recombinant native IL-2 and F42A, an IL-2 analog (Phe-42----Ala substitution) that binds only to IL-2R beta. Analog F42A manifested 75-100% of the bioactivity of wild-type IL-2. This observation is inconsistent with the strict hierarchical IL-2-binding affinity conversion model previously proposed by Saito and coworkers [Saito Y., Sabe, H., Suzuki, N., Kondo, S., Ogura, T., Shimizu, A. & Honjo, T. (1988) J. Exp. Med. 168, 1563-1572] that predicted an ordered sequence of events in which IL-2 must first bind to IL-2R alpha before its interaction with IL-2R beta. Previous investigations using IL-2 variants were interpreted to show that IL-2R alpha merely acts to concentrate IL-2 to the cell surface and that no other meaningful interaction occurred between IL-2R alpha and IL-2R beta. However, our data are inconsistent with this view. We draw this conclusion on the basis of our observation that antibody HIEI, which reacts with an epitope of IL-2R alpha and interferes with interaction of this chain and IL-2R beta, inhibits the IL-2-dependent proliferative effects mediated by analog F42A. Furthermore, by blocking interaction of IL-2R alpha and IL-2R beta with the antibody HIEI, a decrease in the affinity of radiolabeled analog F42A for IL-2R beta was seen. In our proposed model IL-2R alpha contributes several functions to IL-2-mediated signaling through the high-affinity IL-2R. These functions include concentration of IL-2 within the two-dimensional surface of the plasma membrane as well as alteration of the functional capacity of IL-2R beta, an effect that does not require prior binding of IL-2R to IL-2R alpha. The IL-2R alpha-mediated augmentation of IL-2R beta functions involves affinity conversion of IL-2R beta, increasing its affinity for IL-2, and may involve facilitation of Il-2-mediated signaling after binding of IL-2 to this IL-2R beta.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1992

Interleukin 2 regulates the activity of the lyn protein-tyrosine kinase in a B-cell line.

Recently, interleukin 2 (IL-2) has been shown to induce increased activity of the p56lck protein-tyrosine kinase (PTK) in T-cell and natural killer cell lines, and evidence for a direct interaction between the p75 subunit of the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) and this src-family kinase has been reported. Though these findings suggest a central role for lck in IL-2 signal transduction, one problem with this idea is that not all IL-2-responsive cells express the lck gene. For this reason, we examined the effects of IL-2 on the activity of src-like kinases in a pro-B cell line, F7, that lacks p56lck but that displays high-affinity IL-2Rs and vigorously proliferates in response to this lymphokine. Of the eight known src-family PTKs, F7 cells were shown to contain only p53/56lyn, p59fyn, and a small amount of p62yes. Stimulation of resting F7 cells with IL-2 induced a rapid (detectable within 1 min and maximal at 15 min) and concentration-dependent increase in the specific activity of p53/56lyn kinase, as assessed by in vitro kinase assays. This effect of IL-2 on p53/56lyn kinase was specific, since no IL-2-inducible changes were detected in the activities of the p59fyn and p62yes kinases. Furthermore, by using a monoclonal antibody specific for the approximately 75-kDa beta subunit of the IL-2R (referred to as p75/IL-2R beta), evidence for physical association between the lyn kinase and the IL-2R complex was obtained, in that a small proportion of the p53/56lyn kinase in F7 cells, but no detectable p59fyn kinase, was coimmunoprecipitated with p75/IL-2R beta. When combined with the recent evidence that IL-2 regulates p56lck in T cells, these results indicate that some flexibility exists in the ability of various src-like PTKs to participate in IL-2 signal transduction mechanisms and raise the possibility that lineage-specific (T-versus B-cell) responses to IL-2 may be determined at least in part by the repertoire of src-like PTKs expressed in the cell.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1990

Increased expression of the interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor beta chain (p70) on CD56+ natural killer cells after in vivo IL-2 therapy: p70 expression does not alone predict the level of intermediate affinity IL-2 binding.

The expression of the 70-kD beta subunit of the interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R) has been examined on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) obtained from patients receiving systemic infusions of IL-2. Using monoclonal antibodies directed against p70, flow cytometric analyses revealed a greater than threefold increase in expression of the IL-2R beta chain on CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells from post-IL-2 therapy PBL relative to pre-therapy cells. The level of p70 expression on the post-therapy cells was three- to fourfold greater (based on fluorescence intensity) than the level of p70 expression on YT cells, an NK-like cell line that expresses approximately 12,000 intermediate affinity IL-2 binding sites/cell. Despite the high level of p70 expression, in 125I-IL-2 binding assays only 790-1,290 intermediate affinity IL-2 binding sites/cell were detected on post-therapy cells from six patients. These data represent the first report of increased p70 expression after in vivo IL-2 administration and suggest a requirement for at least one additional subunit for the formation of functional intermediate affinity IL-2Rs. Furthermore, the presence on the surface of post-therapy NK cells of excess p70 that does not bind IL-2 with intermediate affinity implies that the formation of intermediate affinity IL-2Rs is not solely determined by the level of p70 expression, and that the response of NK cells to IL-2 might be regulated by altering the expression of p70 or some other IL-2R subunit.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed1992

Characterization of the interleukin 2 receptors (IL-2R) expressed on human natural killer cells activated in vivo by IL-2: association of the p64 IL-2R gamma chain with the IL-2R beta chain in functional intermediate-affinity IL-2R.

Interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptors expressed on the surface of activated T cells and natural killer (NK) cells exhibit a variety of affinity states depending on their subunit composition. Low-affinity binding is associated with a 55-kDa alpha chain, intermediate-affinity binding with a 70-75-kD beta chain, and high-affinity binding with a bimolecular complex of the alpha and beta subunits. In a previous study of the IL-2 receptors expressed on NK cells obtained from cancer patients after in vivo IL-2 therapy, we documented a discrepancy between the level of beta chain and the level of intermediate-affinity IL-2 binding sites expressed on the cell surface. Based on this result, we postulated that formation of intermediate-affinity receptor sites required a component in addition to the beta chain, and that this component was present at limiting levels in the patient NK cells. In the present study we have examined the structure of the intermediate-affinity receptor complex using monoclonal antibodies that recognize the beta chain, but that do not interfere with its ability to bind IL-2. Evidence is presented establishing the physical association of a novel protein of 64 kD with the beta chain in intermediate-affinity IL-2 binding sites. This molecule, termed IL-2R gamma chain, coprecipitated with beta chains prepared from cells that had been incubated with IL-2, but was undetectable in immunoprecipitates prepared in the absence of IL-2. Examination of gamma chain expression in post-IL-2 therapy NK cells, where only low levels of intermediate-affinity IL-2 binding were detectable, revealed that the gamma chain was associated with, on average, only 10-12% of the beta chains expressed on such cells. This contrasted with approximately equal levels of beta and gamma chain expression on YT cells, a cell line that has both high levels of cell surface beta chain expression and high levels of IL-2 binding. Thus, the ratio of gamma chain to beta chain present in the immunoprecipitates roughly correlated with the proportion of beta chain involved in intermediate-affinity receptor sites. This result suggests that the 64-kD gamma chain is the component responsible for regulating the affinity of IL-2 association with the beta subunit. By further defining the structural components necessary for IL-2 receptor formation, these studies provide additional insight into mechanisms whereby lymphocytes might regulate their responsiveness to IL-2.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Neither the LCK nor the FYN kinases are obligatory for IL-2-mediated signal transduction in HTLV-I-infected human T cells.

IL-2 is one of the principal growth factors regulating the proliferation of T lymphocytes. Although two independent IL-2-binding molecules have been molecularly cloned and shown to participate in the formation of a high affinity receptor complex, their primary structures do not suggest a specific mechanism for IL-2 growth signal transduction across the cell membrane. Neither IL-2 receptor subunit contains an intrinsic kinase domain; nevertheless, tyrosine phosphorylation of various intracellular substrates is one of the first biochemical changes observed following activation of the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R). Both serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases can be co-precipitated as part of the IL-2R complex suggesting that the IL-2 signalling may involve the activation of non-covalently associated intracellular kinases. However, controversy exists as to which kinases are involved in IL-2 signal transduction; in particular, which kinase(s) mediates the first or proximal event(s) in the signalling process. Activation of the IL-2R leads to serine and threonine phosphorylation of the SRC tyrosine kinase family member, LCK, and an increase in LCK tyrosine kinase activity. Furthermore, LCK can be co-immunoprecipitated with the beta chain of the IL-2R indicating its association with the receptor complex. IL-2 has also been reported to increase FYN kinase activity and to alter its association with the 85 kDa subunit of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase thus suggesting a role for FYN in IL-2 signal transduction. However, in this report, we now demonstrate that neither LCK nor FYN are obligatory for IL-2-induced growth of HTLV-I-infected human T cells. Lack of expression of LCK or FYN in the HTLV-I-infected T cell lines was demonstrated by a combination of Northern blotting, polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and in vitro kinase activity. Despite the absence of LCK or FYN, IL-2 induced similar patterns of rapid tyrosine phosphorylation. Similar results were observed in cell lines lacking expression of the LYN, FGR, HCK, and LTK tyrosine kinases. Thus, none of these tyrosine kinases alone appears to be required for growth signalling through the IL-2R in the HTLV-I-infected T cell lines analyzed. The findings raise the possibility that an, as yet, unidentified tyrosine kinase is involved. Alternatively, this biological signalling system may exhibit remarkable redundancy whereby several different tyrosine kinases may be capable of associating with the IL-2R complex and mediating intracellular signalling.

Cell Division↗

PubMed1992

Prolongation of graft survival in primate allograft transplantation by yttrium-90-labeled anti-Tac in conjunction with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.

High-affinity IL-2 receptors are expressed by T cells activated in response to foreign histocompatibility antigens but not by normal resting T cells. To exploit this difference in IL-2R expression, anti-Tac, a murine monoclonal antibody specific for the IL-2R alpha subunit, was used to inhibit organ allograft rejection. To enhance its effector function, anti-Tac was armed by chelation with yttrium-90, a pure beta-emitting radionuclide. Animals received no immunosuppression (n = 5, group I, controls), unmodified anti-Tac (n = 5, 1 mg/kg q.o.d., group II), or 90Y-anti-Tac (n = 5, 1.6 mCi/kg divided into four doses, group III). The animals in group IV (n = 4) were treated identically to those in group III with the exception that 5 micrograms/kg/dose of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was administered intramuscularly on the days when the yttrium-90 was given and on postoperative days 12 through 35 in order to reduce hematopoietic toxicity. Mean graft survival +/- S.E.M. for the control group was 8.2 +/- 0.5 days as compared with 13.8 +/- 2.1 days (P < 0.05) for those monkeys treated with unmodified anti-Tac. Graft survival was further prolonged in animals of group III that received 90Y-anti-Tac, with a mean graft survival of 45.0 +/- 11.8 days; however, three of the five monkeys retained viable grafts within this group but died secondary to bone marrow suppression. In comparison, the monkeys in group IV that were treated with G-CSF in conjunction with 90Y-anti-Tac had a mean graft survival of 49.2 +/- 2.9 days. In contrast to group III there were no deaths in the group (IV) receiving G-CSF. Furthermore, animals in group IV had a reduced magnitude and shortened duration of irradiation-induced neutropenia when compared with that observed in group III animals that did not receive G-CSF. Thus, treatment with 90Y-anti-Tac in conjunction with G-CSF may have potential applications in organ transplantation and the treatment of IL-2 receptor-expressing neoplastic diseases.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Production of granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor by human natural killer cells. Modulation by the p75 subunit of the interleukin 2 receptor and by the CD2 receptor.

Resting natural killer (NK) cells express the p75 chain of the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R beta) and most NK cells express the CD2 (erythrocyte rosette) receptor. The cell adhesion molecule, LFA-3, is a natural co-ligand for CD2. Tac antigen (IL-2R alpha), a p55 IL-2R subunit, can be expressed after NK activation and may play a role in IL-2-induced NK proliferation. Little is known of the molecular mechanisms underlying cytokine production in NK cells. We investigated the roles of IL-2R alpha, IL-2R beta, and CD2/LFA-3 in the molecular regulation of NK cell granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) production. Enriched populations of peripheral blood NK cells were separated into CD16-positive and CD16-negative fractions by flow cytometry; positively selected cells were greater than 97% positive for CD16 (the FcIII receptor for IgG which is present on almost all NK cells), less than 1% positive for the T cell antigen CD3, and did not demonstrate rearrangement of the T cell receptor beta chain gene by Southern blot. NK cell supernatants were harvested after 3-4 d of incubation with 0-100 U/ml IL-2, or after incubation with anti-CD2 (T11(3] MAb and sheep red blood cells (SRBC are a homologue for LFA-3). Parallel cell aliquots were harvested at 3-16 h for transcriptional run-on assays, S1 nuclease assays, and actinomycin D mRNA t1/2 determinations. IL-2-activated NK supernatants contained large amounts of GM-CSF (178 +/- 35 pg/ml) by ELISA as did supernatants from CD2-activated NK cells (T11(3) MAb + SRBC: 212 +/- 42) vs. less than 20 pg/ml for NK cells incubated alone or with either SRBC or T11(3) MAb alone. Sepharose-linked anti-CD3 MAb did not induce GM-CSF release from NK cells. By S1 analysis, both IL-2 and CD2 stimulation markedly augmented GM-CSF mRNA expression but with very different latencies of onset. IL-2R beta MAb inhibited greater than 85% of GM-CSF release from IL-2-activated NK cells and markedly suppressed IL-2-induced GM-CSF mRNA expression, whereas IL-2R alpha MAb even at 2,000-fold molar excess of IL-2 had little effect (less than 10%) on either GM-CSF release or mRNA expression. Run-on assays showed that GM-CSF is constitutively transcribed in NK cells and that IL-2 and CD2-activated cells had a three- to fourfold increased rate of GM-CSF transcription compared to nonstimulated cells. The t1/2 of GM-CSF mRNA in IL-2-activated NK cells was identical to that of unstimulated NK cells (15 min), whereas GM-CSF mRNA t1/2 in CD2-activated NK cells was increased 2.5-fold. We conclude that GM-CSF production in NK cells is regulated by both the IL-2Rbeta and the CD2 receptor but not by IL-2Ralpha, that both transcriptional and posttranscriptional signals act together to modulate the level of GM-CSF mRNA in NK cells, and that the molecular mechanisms underlying NK cell GM-CSF production are dependent in part on differential surface receptor activation.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

The IL-2/IL-2 receptor system: involvement of a novel receptor subunit, gamma chain, in growth signal transduction.

We previously demonstrated the existence of a third component, p64, of IL-2 receptor (IL-2R), tentatively named the gamma chain of IL-2R. Our recent studies provided evidence suggesting that the gamma chain endows the beta chain of IL-2R with IL-2 binding ability. The gamma chain was detected in lymphoid transfectants of IL-2R beta cDNA, which showed the intermediate-affinity IL-2R, but not in nonlymphoid transfectants of IL-2R beta cDNA, which showed no IL-2 binding activity. The comparative study between two subclones of lymphoid MOLT4 transfectant of IL-2R beta cDNA demonstrated that the amount of the gamma chain coprecipitated with IL-2R beta was proportional to numbers of the IL-2 binding sites. These results suggest the possibility that the gamma chain associates with IL-2R beta and has an important role in formation of the intermediate-affinity IL-2R complex. On the other hand, we have also demonstrated the association of IL-2R beta with a certain tyrosine kinase, of which activation by IL-2 could be indispensable process at the initial pathway of signal transduction.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Migration of recombinant IL-2-activated T and natural killer cells in the intercellular space of human H-2 glioma spheroids in vitro. A study on adhesion molecules involved.

The migration of rIL-2-activated T and NK cells into the intercellular space of glioma tissue was studied using multicellular spheroids grown from the human H-2 glioblastoma cell line as targets. Lymphocytes of all analyzed subtypes migrated into the spheroids, but CD56+ cells were particularly migratory. Lymphocytes and the H-2 tissue expressed adhesion molecule subunits for the following potential cell-cell or cell-matrix interactions: alpha 3 beta 1 (VLA-3) to fibronectin, laminin, and collagen; alpha 4 beta 1 (VLA-4) and alpha 5 beta 1 (VLA-5) to fibronectin; alpha 6 beta 1 (VLA-6) to laminin; alpha 4 beta 1 to VCAM-1; alpha L beta 2 (Leu-CAMa/LFA-1) to CD54 (ICAM-1); CD44 to fibronectin, collagen, laminin, hyaluronate; CD2 to CD58 (LFA-3); and CD56 (N-CAM) to CD56. In the H-2 tissue, CD54 and VCAM-1 were expressed as a gradient. The expression of CD54 was weak in the peripheral zone and the expression was stronger in the quiescent deeper zone, whereas the distribution of VCAM-1 showed an inversed pattern. The low expression of CD54 was up-regulated along the frontier of migrating lymphocytes. The migration was almost totally prevented by the anti-CD18 (beta 2) mAb IB4 and TS1/18, and also strongly inhibited by the anti-CD54 mAb LB-2. Instead, mAb known to inhibit the binding of beta 1 integrins to fibronectin were not significantly inhibitory. However, a combination of the GPEILDVPST and GRGDS peptides, which compete for the binding of alpha 4 beta 1 and alpha 5 beta 1 to fibronectin and may also affect other adhesion systems, partially prevented migration.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1992

Regulation of lymphokine-activated killer cell induction by human recombinant IL-1 receptor antagonist. Obligate paracrine pathway of IL-1 during lymphokine-activated killer cell induction.

IL-2-stimulated human lymphocytes, referred to as lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, can develop a broad range of lytic activity against fresh tumor cells and cultured tumor cell lines. IL-1, a pleiotropic cytokine shown to synergize with IL-2 on LAK induction, is endogenously synthesized and secreted by LAK cells. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that IL-2-stimulated PBL produced the 31- to 34-kDa pro-molecules of IL-1 within 24 h and maintained their expression for at least 96 h. The role of secreted IL-1 has been examined using rIL-1R antagonist (IL-1ra). The addition of IL-1ra to LAK activation culture resulted in dose-dependent inhibited lytic activity, which was more apparent in LAK cells cultured with higher doses of IL-2. However, IL-1ra had no effect on proliferative responses elicited in LAK cells by IL-2. Moreover, when IL-1 binding was blocked by IL-1ra, the expression of the IL-2R p55 subunit was reduced compared with control LAK cells. The effect of IL-1 binding blockade on expression of other cytokine mRNA was further examined by polymerase chain reaction analysis, and, specifically, inhibition of both TNF-alpha and TNF-beta mRNA expression by IL-1ra was observed in PBL stimulated with IL-2. The reduced biologic activity of TNF in culture supernatants correlated well with the inhibition of mRNA expression. These findings suggest that autocrine/paracrine IL-1 is involved in the initial generation of LAK activity and, in particular, that TNF expression could be induced via an IL-1 autocrine pathway.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1992

Functional reconstitution of the human interleukin-3 receptor.

The high-affinity receptors for human interleukin-3 (IL-3), GM-CSF, and IL-5 are composed of alpha and beta subunits. The alpha subunits are primary ligand binding proteins specific for each ligand, whereas the three human receptors share a common beta subunit (beta c). In contrast to humans mice have two closely related genes, AIC2A and AIC2B, which are homologous to human beta c. The AIC2A gene encodes a low-affinity murine IL-3 binding protein, and the AIC2B protein is the beta subunit shared between murine GM-CSF receptors (mGMR) and IL-5 receptors (mIL-5R). To examine the function of these receptor components, we established various stable transfectants of murine IL-2-dependent CTLL-2 cells. CTLL-2 transfectants expressing both the alpha and beta subunits of the human IL-3 receptor (hIL-3R) proliferated in response to physiologic concentrations of hIL-3. Coexpression of hIL-3R alpha with AIC2B but not with AIC2A in CTLL-2 cells conferred a growth response to hIL-3. Although CTLL-2 transfectants expressing hIL-3R alpha alone did not proliferate in the presence of hIL-3, hIL-3-responsive sublines were repeatedly isolated. These sublines expressed endogenous AIC2B but not AIC2A. These results indicate that human beta c is essential for hIL-3 signaling and that AIC2B is a murine equivalent of human beta c. We also showed that hIL-3 and hGM-CSF induced tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins in CTLL transfectants, similar to those observed in human factor-dependent TF-1 cells stimulated with hIL-3 and hGM-CSF.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Interferon-gamma increases the expression of the gene encoding the beta subunit of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) activates a broad range of myeloid cells through binding to high-affinity receptors (GM-CSF-R) consisting of at least two distinct subunits, GM-CSF-R alpha and GM-CSF-R beta. The genes of these GM-CSF-R subunits have been identified recently, but little is known about the regulation of their expression. In this study, we investigated the expression of the GM-CSF-R subunit genes in normal human monocytes. Out of a panel of various cytokines and factors tested, only interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) affected the expression of one of the GM-CSF-R subunit genes by increasing the GM-CSF-R beta mRNA expression threefold to sixfold with no effect on GM-CSF-R alpha. Maximal effects occurred 2 to 4 hours after stimulation with 500 to 5,000 U/mL IFN-gamma. Nuclear run-on assays and mRNA half-life studies showed that IFN-gamma modestly enhanced the transcription of the GM-CSF-R beta gene and stabilized the GM-CSF-R beta mRNA, with the latter mechanism predominant. Pretreatment of the monocytes with cycloheximide did not abrogate the increase of GM-CSF-R beta mRNA expression induced by IFN-gamma, indicating that de novo protein synthesis was not required for this activity. When monocytes were exposed to IFN-gamma for 6 to 24 hours, the number of GM-CSF-R per cell was increased 79% as compared with controls, whereas the receptor affinity remained unchanged. These data indicate that the GM-CSF-R expression in monocytes may be upregulated by IFN-gamma via an increased expression of the beta subunit gene, involving both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Regulation of IL-2 receptor subunit genes in human monocytes. Differential effects of IL-2 and IFN-gamma.

We investigated the effects of IFN-gamma and IL-2 on IL-2R alpha and beta mRNA expression in human monocytes. Low basal expression of IL-2R beta mRNA was detected in fresh monocytes. Stimulation of monocytes with IL-2 induced a significant increase of IL-2R beta mRNA, but did not induce IL-2R alpha mRNA. In contrast, stimulation of monocytes with IFN-gamma-induced IL-2R alpha mRNA, but did not modify IL-2R beta mRNA. Five U/ml of IFN-gamma induced IL-2R alpha mRNA and 2.2 nM of IL-2 induced IL-2R beta mRNA, both within 3 h. Nuclear run-on experiments demonstrated that the induction of IL-2R alpha mRNA by IFN-gamma is controlled, at least in part, at the transcriptional level. In contrast, the enhancement of IL-2R beta mRNA by IL-2 is controlled at a posttranscriptional level and is associated with an increase in the half-life of IL-2R beta mRNA. The results of studies on the cytotoxic activity and on the expression of c-fms mRNA of monocytes activated by the combination of IFN-gamma and IL-2 show that pretreatment with IFN-gamma renders monocytes more sensitive to activation by IL-2. These results demonstrate that the IL-2R alpha and IL-2R beta subunits are induced by different lymphokines through distinct mechanisms and that both receptor subunits can influence the response of monocytes to IL-2.

Antigens, CD↗

PubMed1992

[Structural similarity and signal transduction of cytokine receptors].

The advent of expression cloning has established a new group of membrane glycoproteins, called the cytokine receptor superfamily. Members of this family have common structural similarities in the extracellular region and no intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity is seen in the intracellular region. A combination of two distinct subunits (alpha and beta) in the family has been shown to generate high-affinity receptors in which the alpha subunits specify the binding and the beta subunits function as transducers that are presumably associated with tyrosine kinases. The high-affinity receptors for IL-3, IL-5 and GM-CSF all share the same beta subunit. The high-affinity receptor for IL-2 is however unique in that it requires a third component, notably, the gamma subunit, whose gene we have recently cloned.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Interleukin 2-induced activation of Ras requires two domains of interleukin 2 receptor beta subunit, the essential region for growth stimulation and Lck-binding domain.

Interleukin 2 (IL-2) can stimulate the proliferation of various kinds of T-cell lines. The receptor for IL-2 is composed of at least two subunits (alpha and beta), of which beta subunit plays the major role in transducing growth signals into the cells. A nonreceptor-type tyrosine kinase, Lck, is associated with IL-2 receptor beta subunit, and the binding of IL-2 to its receptor induces the activation of Lck. On the other hand, it has been shown that stimulation of T-cells with IL-2 causes rapid activation of Ras protein. In this paper, we describe that both of the two regions in IL-2 receptor beta subunit, the indispensable region for the induction of cell growth (serine-rich region) and the binding region of Lck protein (acidic region), are required for the activation of Ras. These two regions are also required for tyrosine phosphorylation of an 85-kDa cellular protein (p85) and the accumulation of fos and jun mRNAs. This observation suggests also that the activation of a receptor-associated tyrosine kinase in response to IL-2-stimulation is primarily responsible for subsequent activation of the pathway through Ras to Fos and Jun.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

[Large granular lymphocytic leukemia].

We investigated the surface markers, cell-function, clonality, and the association of IL-2 receptors and a second messenger of src family of tyrosine kinase p56lck in IL-2 signal transduction of the leukemic cells of 12 patients with large granular lymphocytic leukemia (LGL leukemia). The leukemic cells of 5 patients were CD3+ and 5 of them were CD3-. In three patients with CD3- leukemia examined, one showed karyotype abnormality of 46, XY, -10, +mar and the delta gene of TCR was rearranged in one patient. The TCR of the leukemic cells of a patient MH with CD3+, CD4 and CD8 (double positive marker: DP) recognised rabbit IgG presented by macrophages. The recognition was class II restricted. We examined the expression pattern of CD8 subunits and found that DP leukemic cells commonly expressed CD8 alpha+ beta-. These results suggested that DP leukemic cells were CD4+ T cells and expressed CD8 alpha secondarily. The p75 IL-2 receptors were detected, however, the modulation of p56lck in the process of IL-2 signal transduction were not found out. There was no association between p75 and p56lck when leukemic LGL cells proliferated on stimulation with IL-2.

Antigens, CD↗