Interleukin-1 induces protein tyrosine phosphorylation in T cells.

Interleukin (IL)-1 alpha activates multiple signal transmission pathways in the T helper type 2 cell line, D10A, and these pathways are linked to two separate IL-1 receptors (IL-1R). In the present report we show that IL-1 induces the activation of tyrosine kinase in these cells, leading to tyrosine phosphorylation of a subset of proteins of 38, 75, 97 and 115 kDa. This type of phosphorylation is prevented by a monoclonal antibody directed against the 80-kDa IL-1R and by tyrphostins which are specific inhibitors of tyrosine kinases. In addition, this inhibitor blocks IL-1-and IL-2-induced proliferation in D10A cells as well as the c-myc and c-myb proto-oncogene mRNA expression in response to IL-1. Interestingly, the inhibitor of cAMP-dependent kinase, H-8, only blocks IL-1-induced c-myb, but not c-myc mRNA expression. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the activation of a tyrosine kinase(s) is an early and major event that happens after IL-1/IL-1R interaction, leading to an increase in intracellular cAMP which results in c-myb and IL-5 mRNA expression. Independent of cAMP, by tyrosine phosphorylation of specific substrates IL-1 also induces c-myc and IL-6 mRNA expression and cellular proliferation.