High affinity interleukin 2 receptors in HTLV-1-infected T cells can mediate signals for gene expression.
The expression of transcripts of the c-myb and c-myc protooncogenes and the interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R) gene in human T cells infected with human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) after exposure to interleukin 2 (IL-2) were examined. Infection with HTLV-1 is known to be associated with constitutive expression of IL-2R, although infected cells do not require IL-2 for growth. Northern blot analysis showed that expression of the mRNAs of the c-myb, c-myc, and IL-2R genes were markedly increased by addition of IL-2 into the cultures, indicating that IL-2R transduced signals for gene expression in these cells as in normal T cells. Studies on distinct HTLV-1-infected T cell clones that differed in numbers of high-affinity IL-2R, showed that the extents of increase in mRNA expression by IL-2 were correlated with the number of high-affinity IL-2R. This correlation was confirmed by demonstration that the levels of mRNA expression were proportional to the numbers of IL-2-bound high-affinity but not low-affinity receptors. Thus, the signals induced by IL-2 for gene expression may be through high-affinity IL-2R.
D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002460:Cell Line; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology
D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins