Duncliffe K N, Bert A G, Vadas M A, Cockerill P N
Division of Human Immunology, Hanson Centre For Cancer Research, Institute for Medical and Veterinary Science, Adelaide, Australia.
Immunity. 1997 Feb;6(2):175-85. doi: 10.1016/s1074-7613(00)80424-0.
Interleukin-3 (IL-3) is a cytokine that is expressed primarily in activated T cells. Here we identified an inducible T cell-specific enhancer 14 kb upstream of the IL-3 gene that responded to activation of T cell receptor signaling pathways. The IL-3 enhancer spanned an inducible cyclosporin A-sensitive DNase I-hypersensitive site found only in T cells. Four NFAT-like elements exist within the enhancer. The two most active NFAT-like elements were located at the center of the DNase I-hypersensitive site. One of these NFAT-like elements encompassed overlapping Oct- and NFATp/c-binding sites, which functioned in a highly synergistic manner. We suggest that the T cell-specific expression of the IL-3 gene is partly controlled through the enhancer by cooperation between Oct and NFAT family proteins.
