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.
Section on Pulmonary and Molecular Immunology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892.
X
X
Cao
C A
CA
Kozak
Y J
YJ
Liu
M
M
Noguchi
E
E
O'Connell
W J
WJ
Leonard
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