IL-2 regulates the expression of the NK-TR gene via an alternate RNA splicing mechanism.
We have recently isolated and characterized human and mouse genes of a putative natural killer (NK) cell tumour-recognition protein (NK-TR) that is specifically expressed in NK cells. This gene codes for a 150 kD protein with a cyclophilin-related amino terminus followed by several positively charged domains. We report here the discovery of two sites of alternate splicing in the 5' region of the NK-TR mRNA. One of these events caused a frameshift in the open reading frame by splicing in a 28 bp exon within the cyclophilin coding region, resulting in the premature termination of the NK-TR protein. The second alternate splice stemmed from the use of an internal splice acceptor within an exon, producing a deletion of 25 amino acids in the NK-TR protein. The activation of NK cells by IL-2 produced a change in the splicing pattern that resulted in increased production of mRNAs capable of producing the complete NK-TR protein.
Rinfret
A
A
National Research Council, Biotechnology Research Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Anderson
S K
SK
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
D001798:Blood Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell; D004247:DNA