# EXPRESSION OF GROWTH CONTROL GENES IN FUNCTIONAL T CELLS

> **NIH NIH R01** · CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 1988 · $159,403

## Abstract

Proliferation and functional activation of most cells in the
immune system are controlled by the responses of activated T
cells.  At least three classes of T cells are known:  killer T cells,
and two types of helper T cells that secrete distinct sets of
polypeptide hormones.  All three types of T cells have many
features in common, including the antigen-recognition structures
that trigger their activation and a shared site of differentiation
from common precursors.  Upon stimulation, however, each of
these three classes of cells initiates the accumulation of a
different set of transcripts involved in effector function, e.g.
interleukin-2 (IL2) for type 1 helpers and interleukin-4 (IL4) for
type 2 helpers.  This proposal is to investigate critically the
molecular basis for these different responses.  It is prompted by
our results of in situ hybridization studies of response gene
inducibility in primary cell populations, and transfection
experiments to identify cell type-specific activators.  These
studies suggest that T cells are capable of transcribing
inappropriate as well as appropriate "response" genes, depending
on the conditions of stimulation.  We plan to determine whether
individual cells in fact have the potential for multiple types of
functions, and if so, what mechanisms operate normally to
restrict it.

In situ hybridization, quantitative probe protection, and flow
cytometric phenotypic analysis will be used to identify the cells
able to express RNA for IL2, IL4, and the killer-cell serine
esterase CCP1.  Defined populations of cells will be activated
with ligands to membrane receptors or with membrane-permeable
pharmacological agents, in the presence or absence of defined
exogenous lymphokines.  The time scale will be brief enough to
permit calculation of the frequency of cells with dual responses or
cells with mutually exclusive responses.  Different kinetics of
mRNA accumulation will be analyzed by nuclear runoff to
estimate transcription rates and by actinomycin D chase to
estimate stability of the RNA.  In parallel, we will look directly
for cell-type-specific regulatory proteins in gene transfer
experiments with the murine IL2 gene in tissue culture cells and
transgenic mice.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3178774
- **Project number:** 2R01CA039605-04
- **Recipient organization:** CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** U2JMKHNS5TG4
- **Principal Investigator:** ELLEN V. ROTHENBERG
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $159,403
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1985-01-01 → 1993-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3178774

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3178774, EXPRESSION OF GROWTH CONTROL GENES IN FUNCTIONAL T CELLS (2R01CA039605-04). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3178774. Licensed CC0.

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