title: Role of oncogenes in the regulation of MHC antigen expression.
abstract: Class I and class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens are required for CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and CD4+ helper T-cells, respectively, to recognize foreign antigen. Regulating the levels of expression of these MHC antigens regulates the T-cell responses [1]. This regulation is mainly carried out by the interferons (IFN), which are produced in the disease state. Type I IFN (IFN alpha or IFN beta; collectively 'IFN alpha beta) up-regulates class I MHC and IFN gamma up-regulates class I and class II MHC. We and others [1-3] have shown that transfection of cells with a variety of oncogenes including ras and myc affects the level of MHC antigen expression. This and other data provide evidence for a scheme in which the signal transduction mechanisms whereby IFN up-regulates MHC antigens involve several (proto) oncogenes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, U.K.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Maudsley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D011905:Genes, ras; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000502:physiology; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009857:Oncogenes; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007372:Interferons