Constitutive expression of interleukin-7 mRNA and production of IL-7 by a cloned murine thymic stromal cell line.
Mouse interleukin-7 (IL-7) cDNA was cloned from mouse thymic stromal cell clone MRL 104.8a using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and expressed in COS-7 cells. The resulting recombinant interleukin-7 (rIL-7) supported the proliferation of mouse antigen-specific helper T cell (Th) clone 9-16 in the absence of IL-2 and antigen as well as mouse pre-B cell line DW34. It was also found that high levels of the mRNA for IL-7 were constitutively expressed in the MRL104.8a cells, and a potent amount of IL-7 was produced in its culture supernatant. These results provide the evidence for constitutive expression of IL-7 mRNA and for production of IL-7 by thymic stromal cells that have a critical role in intrathymic T cell development. The results are discussed in the context of the functional and molecular relationship between IL-7 and the previously described cytokines produced by thymic stromal cells.
Sakata
T
T
Shionogi Research Laboratories, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan.
Iwagami
S
S
Tsuruta
Y
Y
Teraoka
H
H
Tatsumi
Y
Y
Kita
Y
Y
Nishikawa
S
S
Takai
Y
Y
Fujiwara
H
H
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005784:Gene Amplification / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
D015851:Interleukin-7; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA