Open AccessRegulation of IL‐2β receptor expression and β‐chain mRNA by human thymocytes
Author(s) -
REEM G. H.,
HAN X.,
MARCELLI A.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1992.tb06429.x
Subject(s) - lymphokine , concanavalin a , receptor , alpha chain , interleukin 2 , beta (programming language) , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , thymocyte , messenger rna , t cell , t lymphocyte , alpha (finance) , endocrinology , immunology , biochemistry , antigen , in vitro , gene , immune system , medicine , construct validity , nursing , patient satisfaction , computer science , programming language
SUMMARY The high affinity form of the human IL‐2 receptor (IL‐2R) has two known components, the IL‐2Rα (p55) and the IL‐2Rβ chain (p75). We have previously shown that recombinant IL‐2 (rIL‐2) could induce the expression of the α‐chain (p55) on T cells and thymocytes, and increase this expression following suboptimal activation with concanavalin A (Con A) in combination with IL‐2. An increase in the accumulation of IL‐2Rα‐specific mRNA induced by rIL‐2 in T cells and thymocytes had also been documented. We report here that the expression of IL‐2Rβ on the cell surface can be demonstrated on human thymocytes by the binding of Mik β 1 , a MoAb directed against an epitope of the β‐chain. The IL‐2Rβ chain is constitutively expressed on freshly isolated thymocytes; this expression can be increased in thymocytes activated with Con A in combination with IL‐2 or tetradecanoylphorbol 13‐acetaie (TPA). Blocking the formation of high affinity receptors with a MoAb directed against the α‐chain of the receptor results in an increase in the display of IL‐2Rβ as evidenced by binding of MoAb Mik β 1 . The accumulation of IL‐2Rβ specific mRNA is observed in freshly isolated thymocytes and it is increased in thymocytes cultured with rIL‐2 alone, with Con A. and further enhanced by the addition of rIL‐2 in combination with Con A or with TPA. Cyclosporine (CsA), which inhibits the accumulation of lymphokine‐specific mRNA of thymocytes, does not inhibit the induction of the accumulation orIL‐2Rβ‐specific mRNA. This is analogous to its effect on the expression of the α‐chain (p55), and the accumulation of α‐chain‐specific mRNA.