Regulation of the human interleukin-2/interleukin-2 receptor system: a role for immunosuppression.
The strength of the cellular immune response is regulated to a large extent by the amount of interleukin-2 (IL-2) produced in response to a stimulus. The ability of lymphocytes and other cells to respond to IL-2 depends upon the expression of cell surface IL-2 receptors. Formation of a high-affinity IL-2 receptor is regulated primarily through induction of its alpha subunit, IL-2R alpha. Once formed, the IL-2R alpha chain turns over rapidly, rendering expression of high-affinity IL-2 receptors during the immune response dependent upon continuous activity of the IL-2R alpha gene. The induced expression of both human IL-2 and IL-2R alpha chains is sensitive to cell-mediated suppression by CD8 cells; depletion of CD8 cells leads to extensive superinduction. This coupled suppression of IL-2 and IL-2R alpha genes greatly increases the extent of control, and strongly limits the strength, of the signal transduced by this ligand/receptor system during an immune response.
Department of Molecular Virology, Hebrew University--Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
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Kaempfer
D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D007376:Interleukin-2; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2