Cloning and expression of human interleukin 2 in Streptomyces lividans using the Escherichia coli consensus promoter.

Streptomyces lividans was transformed with a plasmid containing the structural gene that specifies human interleukin 2. The expression of interleukin 2 in this plasmid is controlled by both the consensus promoter and a consensus ribosome binding site characteristic of Escherichia coli. We have detected production of active human interleukin 2 in liquid cultures of the transformed Streptomyces by both, biological assay and immuno-blotting analysis.