TY - JOUR
T1 - itk, a T-cell-specific tyrosine kinase gene inducible by interleukin 2
AU - Siliciano, Janet D.
AU - Morrow, Theresa A.
AU - Desiderio, Stephen V.
PY - 1992/12/1
Y1 - 1992/12/1
N2 - T lymphocytes are activated by interactions with antigens, lymphokines, and cell adhesion molecules. Tyrosine phosphorylation has been implicated as important in signaling through each of these pathways, but except for p56lck, a member of the Src family that associates with CD4 and CD8, the protein-tyrosine kinases involved have not been defined. We describe here a tyrosine kinase gene that we have designated itk (for IL-2-inducible T-cell kinase). The itk gene specifies a 72-kDa protein-tyrosine kinase that is related to members of the Src family but lacks two features characteristic of Src kinases: an N-terminal myristoylation consensus sequence and a regulatory tyrosine residue near the C terminus. Analysis of mouse tissues and cell lines indicates that itk is specifically expressed in the T-cell lineage, suggesting that the tyrosine kinase encoded by itk functions in a signal transduction pathway unique to T lymphocytes. On addition of IL-2 to responsive T cells, itk RNA increases in parallel with that of IL-2Rα, implicating itk in T-cell activation.
AB - T lymphocytes are activated by interactions with antigens, lymphokines, and cell adhesion molecules. Tyrosine phosphorylation has been implicated as important in signaling through each of these pathways, but except for p56lck, a member of the Src family that associates with CD4 and CD8, the protein-tyrosine kinases involved have not been defined. We describe here a tyrosine kinase gene that we have designated itk (for IL-2-inducible T-cell kinase). The itk gene specifies a 72-kDa protein-tyrosine kinase that is related to members of the Src family but lacks two features characteristic of Src kinases: an N-terminal myristoylation consensus sequence and a regulatory tyrosine residue near the C terminus. Analysis of mouse tissues and cell lines indicates that itk is specifically expressed in the T-cell lineage, suggesting that the tyrosine kinase encoded by itk functions in a signal transduction pathway unique to T lymphocytes. On addition of IL-2 to responsive T cells, itk RNA increases in parallel with that of IL-2Rα, implicating itk in T-cell activation.
KW - Lymphocyte activation
KW - Lymphokines
KW - Protein-tyrosine kinases
KW - T lymphocytes
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U2 - 10.1073/pnas.89.23.11194
DO - 10.1073/pnas.89.23.11194
M3 - Article
C2 - 1280821
AN - SCOPUS:0026453395
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 89
SP - 11194
EP - 11198
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 23
ER -