Cloning of interleukin 2 mRNAs from human tonsils

Human interleukin 2 (IL-2) mRNAs were cloned from a cDNA library prepared from mitogen-stimulated tonsillar mononuclear cells. One of these clones was sequenced and, using this cDNA as a hybridization probe, Southern blot analysis of the human placental DNA was performed. Our results indicate that there is only one IL-2 gene in the human genome.