Binding of octamer factors to the murine IL-5 CLE0 in primary T-cells and a T-cell line.

Interleukin-5 (IL-5) is an inducible T-cell derived cytokine with remarkable specificity for the eosinophil lineage. It is controlled at the level of transcription and regulation of the gene is an obvious target for therapy of eosinophil-dependent allergic disorders such as asthma, eczema and rhinitis. Using a T-cell line and primary T-cells we have shown for the first time that the Oct1 and Oct2 transcription factors combine to form a complex with the functionally critical murine IL-5 cis-regulatory element, conserved lymphokine element 0 (CLE0), and contribute to positive regulation of the gene. These results show the increasingly important role of octamer factors in regulation of the IL-5 gene.