title: Constitutive IL-2 mRNA expression in lymphocytes, infected with the intracellular parasite Theileria parva.
abstract: Theileria parva-infected lymphoblastoid cell lines of T or B cell origin were examined for IL-2 mRNA expression. T. parva-infected T cell lines could be of the CD4-CD8-, CD4+CD8-, CD4-CD8+, or CD4+CD8+ phenotype and express alpha beta or gamma delta TCR. By Northern blot analysis and amplification by the polymerase chain reaction, IL-2 mRNA could be detected in all T. parva-infected cell lines tested. IL-2 mRNA expression was also shown to be dependent on the continuous presence of the parasite in the host cell cytoplasm, because elimination of the parasite by treatment of T. parva-infected cell cultures with the theilericidal drug BW720c resulted in the disappearance of detectable IL-2 mRNA. The effect of anti-IL-2 antibodies on the proliferation of T. parva-infected cells was also tested. Inhibition experiments suggest that although IL-2 mRNA can be detected in all cell lines tested, not all T. parva-infected cell lines are dependent on IL-2 for their proliferation. Our data provide the first example for the constitutive expression of IL-2 mRNA in T and B cells caused by infection with an intracellular parasite.
authors.affiliation: University of Bern, Department of Parasitology, Switzerland.
authors.forename: V T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Heussler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eichhorn
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reeves
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Magnuson
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dobbelaere
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002460:Cell Line; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D016797:Theileria parva / Q000254:growth & development*; D013801:Theileriasis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger