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. 1993 Apr;13(4):2536–2545. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.4.2536

Interaction between NF-kappa B- and serum response factor-binding elements activates an interleukin-2 receptor alpha-chain enhancer specifically in T lymphocytes.

A A Kuang 1, K D Novak 1, S M Kang 1, K Bruhn 1, M J Lenardo 1
PMCID: PMC359582  PMID: 8455627

Abstract

We find that a short enhancer element containing the NF-kappa B binding site from the interleukin-2 receptor alpha-chain gene (IL-2R alpha) is preferentially activated in T cells. The IL-2R alpha enhancer binds NF-kappa B poorly and is only weakly activated by the NF-kappa B site alone. Serum response factor (SRF) binds to a site adjacent to the NF-kappa B site in the IL-2R enhancer, and both sites together have strong transcriptional activity specifically in T cells. Surprisingly, the levels of SRF constitutively expressed in T cells are consistently higher than in other cell types. Overexpression of SRF in B cells causes the IL-2R enhancer to function as well as it does in T cells, suggesting that the high level of SRF binding in T cells is functionally important.

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Selected References

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