The human interleukin-2 receptor and other T-cell activation genes are being studied to understand specific critical components of the T cell immune response in normal and neoplastic cells. In the past year, we have significantly progressed in (1) the preparation of antisera to the IL-2R beta chain to allow further biochemical analysis of IL-2Rs; (2) the expression of the IL-2R-alpha and beta chain cDNAs in 32D cells to elucidate features of IL-2 mediated signal transduction; (3) the demonstration that functional IL-2 receptors are present on neutrophils; (4) the study of the Act-2 cytokine, including characterization of the gene encoding Act-2 and progressing on efforts to clone that Act-2 receptor; (5) the study of the molecular regulation of IL-2R-alpha and IL-2R-beta genes; (6) utilization of sensitivity of NF-kappa-B to oxidation and alkylation to elucidate the DNA binding domain and to identify transdominant negative mutants. In addition, in the past year, two important methodologies have been set up in the lab: expression cloning in COS cells and in vivo footprinting.
