title: Lymphocyte-specific inducible expression of potassium channel beta subunits.
abstract: Many studies have shown that voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel activity is essential for T-lymphocyte proliferation. The IL-2-inducible neuroimmune gene, I2rf5 is the mouse homologue of the rat Kv beta 2 subunit. In this study we show that in addition to constitutive expression in adult murine brain, expression of Kv channel subunits beta 1.1 and beta 2.1 is inducible in a cloned T-helper cell line stimulated with IL-2 and in normal murine splenocytes stimulated with Con A or LPS. This expression pattern appears to be lymphocyte specific, because stimulated fibroblasts and vascular smooth muscle cells do not express Kv beta channel subunit mRNA. These observations suggest that Kv beta subunit expression is tissue specific and inducible in stimulated lymphocytes. Because Kv beta subunits modulate K+ channel activity, the inducible and variable expression of these subunits in lymphocytes may represent an additional regulatory mechanism for lymphocyte proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Autieri
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Belkowski
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Constantinescu
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Prystowsky
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000166:cytology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D008934:Mitogens; D015221:Potassium Channels; D012333:RNA, Messenger