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Interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) Receptor α, β and γ Subunit Expression as a Function of B‐Cell Lineage Ontogeny: the Use of IL‐2‐PE66 4Glu to Characterize Internalization via IL‐2 Receptor Subunits
Author(s) -
STEINBERGER I.,
BENBASSAT H.,
HOCHBERG E.,
LORBERBOUMGALSKI H.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3083.1997.d01-101.x
Subject(s) - ontogeny , interleukin 12 receptor, beta 1 subunit , internalization , interleukin 4 receptor , biology , lineage (genetic) , receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , interleukin 10 receptor, alpha subunit , b cell receptor , protein subunit , function (biology) , b cell , interleukin 21 receptor , g alpha subunit , immunology , genetics , gene , antibody
Interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) is a pluripotent cytokine which plays a crucial role in the immune system response. Although the IL‐2/IL‐2 receptor (IL‐2R) system has been well characterized in cells of the T lineage it is less known in B lymphocytes. The authors therefore studied the expression of the IL‐2Rα, β and γ subunits in human B‐cell lines at different stages of maturation, by the polymerase chain reaction technique. The authors found that the α and β subunits are expressed in the final stages of B‐cell lineage maturation, whereas the γ subunit is constitutively expressed during B‐lymphocyte differentiation. The results indicate that the IL‐2/IL‐2R system, most probably, does not have a role in the early stages of B‐cell differentiation, but may be involved only in the final stages of B‐cell lineage ontogeny. Moreover, the ability of the different forms of IL‐2R to internalize the IL‐2 ligand was investigated, using the chimeric protein IL‐2‐PE66 4Glu . Cell lines bearing the αγ, βγ and αβγ forms of IL‐2R were inhibited by the chimeric protein, while those bearing the γ subunit alone did not respond to the chimera. Thus, internalization of IL‐2 is most likely mediated via the αγ form of the IL‐2R, as shown here for the first time, as well as through the βγ and αβγ IL‐2R forms. However, IL‐2 cannot be internalized through the IL‐2R γ subunit alone.