Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 9, 2026

Accessing Early Differentiation of Virus-Specific Follicular Helper CD4+ T Cell in Acute LCMV-Infected Mice
05:03

Accessing Early Differentiation of Virus-Specific Follicular Helper CD4+ T Cell in Acute LCMV-Infected Mice

Published on: April 26, 2024

Human T cell lymphotropic virus type I Tax activates IL-15R alpha gene expression through an NF-kappa B site

J M Mariner1, V Lantz, T A Waldmann

  • 1Metabolism Branch, Division of Clinical Sciences, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. marinerj@mail.nih.gov

Journal of Immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)
|February 13, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Human T cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection elevates Interleukin-15 receptor alpha (IL-15Ralpha). The HTLV-I Tax protein upregulates IL-15Ralpha via NF-kappaB, suggesting a role in disease.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Interleukin-15 (IL-15) mRNA levels are elevated in diseases associated with human T cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I).
  • IL-15Ralpha is the specific binding receptor for IL-15.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of IL-15Ralpha in HTLV-I infection.
  • To elucidate the mechanism by which HTLV-I Tax protein influences IL-15Ralpha expression.

Main Methods:

  • Quantification of IL-15Ralpha mRNA and protein levels in HTLV-I-infected cells.
  • Analysis of IL-15Ralpha promoter activity using reporter constructs.
  • Investigation of the role of NF-kappaB in Tax-mediated IL-15Ralpha regulation through promoter deletion and gel shift assays.

Main Results:

  • IL-15Ralpha mRNA and protein levels were significantly increased in HTLV-I-infected cells.
  • Transient expression of HTLV-I Tax protein led to elevated IL-15Ralpha mRNA levels.
  • Tax expression increased IL-15Ralpha promoter activity by over 4-fold, mediated by NF-kappaB binding to a specific motif.

Conclusions:

  • IL-15Ralpha is transcriptionally regulated by the HTLV-I Tax protein.
  • The Tax protein activates IL-15Ralpha expression, in part, through the induction of NF-kappaB.
  • Upregulation of IL-15Ralpha may contribute to aberrant T cell proliferation in HTLV-I-associated diseases.

More Related Videos

Wild-type Blocking PCR Combined with Sanger Sequencing for Detection of Low-frequency Somatic Mutation07:17

Wild-type Blocking PCR Combined with Sanger Sequencing for Detection of Low-frequency Somatic Mutation

Published on: August 23, 2024

Retroviral Transduction of Helper T Cells as a Genetic Approach to Study Mechanisms Controlling their Differentiation and Function11:50

Retroviral Transduction of Helper T Cells as a Genetic Approach to Study Mechanisms Controlling their Differentiation and Function

Published on: November 4, 2016

Related Concept Videos

NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway02:26

NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway

The transcription factor NF-κB was discovered in 1986 in the lab of Nobel laureate Professor David Baltimore, for its interaction with the immunoglobulin light chain enhancer in B-cells. After more than three decades of study, it is now evident that NF-κB regulates the expression of over 100 genes. Most of these genes play an essential role in the innate and adaptive immune responses as well as the inflammatory responses of animals.
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The heterodimer of NF-κB...
T Cell Types and Functions01:24

T Cell Types and Functions

When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...