Characterization of cDNAs encoding the murine interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R) gamma chain: chromosomal mapping and tissue specificity of IL-2R gamma chain expression.
The IL-2R gamma chain (IL-2R gamma) is an essential component of high- and intermediate-affinity IL-2Rs, playing critical roles for ligand binding and internalization. Recently, our laboratory has demonstrated that IL-2R gamma mutation results in X chromosome-linked severe combined immunodeficiency in humans, suggesting that IL-2R gamma plays a vital role in thymic maturation of human T cells. We now report the isolation and characterization of cDNAs encoding murine IL-2R gamma. The open reading frame encodes 369 aa, identical in length to that encoded by the human IL-2R gamma cDNA. Murine IL-2R gamma and human IL-2R gamma have 69% and 70% identity at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively. As expected, the murine IL-2R gamma retains the WSXWS motif and four cysteine residues characteristic of cytokine receptor superfamily members. IL-2R gamma mRNA distribution shows significant tissue specificity, with particularly high-level expression in spleen and thymus, and higher expression in single-positive (CD4+8- or CD4-8+)-enriched thymocytes than in double-negative (CD4-8-) thymocytes. Finally, we have localized the murine IL-2R gamma gene, Il2rg, to the X chromosome between Rsvp and Plp and demonstrated that a defect in IL-2R gamma is not responsible for the X chromosome-linked xid mutation, which maps to this same region. The cloning of the murine IL-2R gamma cDNA will facilitate the investigation of the role of this protein in lymphocyte function and thymic development.
Cao
X
X
Section on Pulmonary and Molecular Immunology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Kozak
C A
CA
Liu
Y J
YJ
Noguchi
M
M
O'Connell
E
E
Leonard
W J
WJ
D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009115:Muridae; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D004247:DNA