Molecular cloning of IL‐2Rα, IL‐2Rβ, and IL‐2Rγ cDNAs from a human oligodendroglioma cell line: Presence of IL‐2R mRNAs in the human central nervous system

Abstract

In the present study, we analyzed human adult brain, fetal spinal cord, and an interleukin-2 (IL-2)-responsive human oligodendroglioma subclone, TC620.6A2, for the presence of mRNAs for the alpha, beta, and gamma chains of the interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R alpha, IL-2R beta, and IL-2R gamma). IL-2R beta mRNA, but not IL-2R alpha or IL-2R gamma was detectable by Northern blot analysis in adult human brain tissues. Northern blot analysis of TC620.6A2 and human fetal tissues revealed mRNAs of 1.5 kb and 1.3 kb that hybridized to the IL-2R alpha cDNA at low to medium stringency. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) experiments were done on the TC620.6A2 cell line utilizing primers to IL-2R alpha, IL-2R beta, and IL-2R gamma. Southern blot analysis of the TC620.6A2 RT-PCR reactions detected products identical in size to the peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) positive controls at high stringency. Several of the TC620.6A2 IL-2R alpha, IL-2R beta, and IL-2R gamma cDNAs were cloned and sequenced. The sequences were found to be identical to the known IL-2R sequences. To our knowledge, these experiments are the first to demonstrate the presence of authentic IL-2R mRNAs in a human oligodendrocyte-like cell line. Demonstration of mRNA for IL-2R beta in human adult brain, IL-2R alpha in fetal brain, and IL-2R alpha, IL-2R beta, and IL-2R gamma in a malignant neural cell line suggests the possibility of a role for IL-2/IL-2R interactions in development and disease.