title: IL-2 mRNA levels and degradation rates change with mode of stimulation and phorbol ester treatment of lymphocytes.
abstract: Transient expression of interleukin 2 (IL-2) in activated T lymphocytes may be due to transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. As incubation of lymphocytes with the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) prior to mitogenic stimulation results in decreased levels of IL-2 mRNA, we asked if IL-2 mRNA stability was affected. We found that in TPA-treated cells, IL-2 mRNA was degraded more rapidly than in untreated ones whether the mitogenic stimulus was Concanavalin A (Con A), Con A plus TPA, or TPA plus ionomycin. The degradation was blocked if the TPA pre-incubation included cycloheximide. In contrast, when TPA was included as a co-mitogen, i.e. added at the same time as the mitogen, the IL-2 mRNA levels and stability significantly increased. Compared to the levels found in Con A stimulated cells, TPA plus Con A increased IL-2 mRNA levels by as much as 20-fold and the half-life by 5-fold. TPA plus ionomycin increased the message levels at least 100-fold and half-life by nearly 10-fold. These effects on IL-2 mRNA were not general because IL-2 receptor mRNA stability was not changed even though it also is transiently expressed during the course of lymphocyte activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bill
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Garlisi
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Grove
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mastro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002417:Cattle; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003208:Concanavalin A; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006207:Half-Life; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015759:Ionomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003208:Concanavalin A; D003609:Dactinomycin; D015759:Ionomycin; D003513:Cycloheximide; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate