Tumor promoter phorbol esters induce unresponsiveness to antigen and expression of interleukin 2 receptor on T cells.

The tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate induces the expression of the interleukin 2 receptor and the disappearance of the T3 complex in a T cell hybridoma, T cell clones, thymic and peripheral T cells and T cell tumors. These changes are accompanied by an increased sensitivity to interleukin 2 and antigen-specific unresponsiveness in T cell clones.