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Published on: September 9, 2011
Both human alpha/beta and gamma interferons upregulate the expression of CD48 cell surface molecules
C Tissot1, C Rebouissou, B Klein
1Institute de Genetique Moleculaire de Montpellier-UMR 9942, France.
Insights
Interferons (IFN) upregulate CD48 expression on human cells, potentially enhancing immune cell interactions. This study identifies CD48 as a novel IFN-regulated gene involved in immune responses.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Interferons (IFN) are crucial signaling molecules in the immune system.
- CD48 is a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-linked (GPI) membrane glycoprotein with known roles in murine T cell activation.
- The function of human CD48 and its regulation by IFNs were previously unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify novel interferon-regulated genes in human cells.
- To investigate the effect of interferons on the expression of CD48.
- To explore the potential role of CD48 in interferon-mediated immune modulation.
Main Methods:
- Differential screening of a cDNA library from IFN-treated human lymphoblastoid Daudi cells.
- Isolation and characterization of the human CD48 cDNA.
- Analysis of CD48 mRNA and protein expression in various human cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells following IFN treatment.
- Comparison of IFN effects on CD48 and LFA-3 expression.
Main Results:
- A human cDNA encoding the GPI-linked membrane glycoprotein CD48 was isolated.
- Both human IFN-alpha/beta and IFN-gamma increased CD48 mRNA levels and surface protein expression in cultured human cell lines.
- IFNs did not affect LFA-3 expression.
- IFNs upregulated CD48 expression on CD3+, CD14+, and CD19+ peripheral blood mononuclear cell subpopulations.
Conclusions:
- Human CD48 is a novel interferon-regulated gene.
- Interferons enhance CD48 expression, suggesting a role in modulating immune cell interactions.
- IFN-induced CD48 expression may promote MHC-unrestricted interactions between target cells and immune cells.
Abstract:
We have established a cDNA library from interferon (IFN)-treated human lymphoblastoid Daudi cells and made use of differential screening to search for yet unidentified IFN-regulated genes. In the course of these studies, we have isolated a human cDNA coding for the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-linked (GPI) membrane glycoprotein CD48 (TCT-1, Blast-1). Various studies demonstrated that the murine CD48 is the predominant counterreceptor for the mouse CD2 and is involved in the regulation of T cell activation. Since the murine CD48 is functionally homologous to the human CD2 ligand LFA-3 (CD48), the function of the human CD48 remains unknown. In this report, we show that both Hu-IFN-alpha/beta and Hu-IFN-gamma increase the level of CD48 mRNA and upregulate the expression of CD48 proteins at the surface of various cultured human cell lines. However, the IFN have no effect on the expression of LFA-3. In addition, we show that IFN increase CD48 expression on peripheral blood mononuclear CD3+, CD14+, and CD19+ subpopulations. These data suggest that in addition to modulation of the conventional MHC class I and class II-restricted interactions, the IFN might promote MHC-unrestricted interactions of target cells with the immune cells by inducing the expression of the cell surface CD48 molecule.
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