Biomaterial Database

Analysis of cytokine gene expression during fetal thymic ontogeny using the polymerase chain reaction. 1991

R A Montgomery, and M J Dallman

Nuffield Department of Surgery, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hosptial, Headington, England.

The expression of 12 cytokine and cytokine receptor genes during mouse thymic ontogeny has been studied using the polymerase chain reaction. The data reveal that IL-2 gene transcription does not begin in the thymus until fetal day (Fd) 16. However, IL-2R beta-chain mRNA was detectable throughout the period of investigation, from Fd 14 to 20. This suggests that the potential for high or intermediate affinity IL-2 binding is present in the thymus before the IL-2 gene is actually expressed. Overall, cytokine gene induction occurred in two distinct patterns. In the first group, represented by IL-1 beta, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IFN-gamma, and lymphotoxin (lymphotoxin or TNF-beta) there was detectable mRNA present from Fd 14 to 20. IL-1 alpha, IL-2, IL-3, and GM-CSF followed a second pattern in which gene induction was delayed until Fd 16. The expression of IL-7 and IL-2 genes showed an interesting temporal relationship. IL-7 mRNA transcription occurred before IL-2 but diminished from Fd 16 after the onset of IL-2 gene induction. Because these data reflect the in vivo progression of gene expression during T cell ontogeny, they provide a guideline for assessing the physiologic significance of thymocyte responses to cytokines at different stages of fetal development.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007376	Interleukin-2	A soluble substance elaborated by antigen- or mitogen-stimulated T-LYMPHOCYTES which induces DNA synthesis in naive lymphocytes.	IL-2,Lymphocyte Mitogenic Factor,T-Cell Growth Factor,TCGF,IL2,Interleukin II,Interleukine 2,RU 49637,RU-49637,Ro-23-6019,Ro-236019,T-Cell Stimulating Factor,Thymocyte Stimulating Factor,Interleukin 2,Mitogenic Factor, Lymphocyte,RU49637,Ro 23 6019,Ro 236019,Ro236019,T Cell Growth Factor,T Cell Stimulating Factor
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008807	Mice, Inbred BALB C	An inbred strain of mouse that is widely used in IMMUNOLOGY studies and cancer research.	BALB C Mice, Inbred,BALB C Mouse, Inbred,Inbred BALB C Mice,Inbred BALB C Mouse,Mice, BALB C,Mouse, BALB C,Mouse, Inbred BALB C,BALB C Mice,BALB C Mouse
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D009841	Oligonucleotides	Polymers made up of a few (2-20) nucleotides. In molecular genetics, they refer to a short sequence synthesized to match a region where a mutation is known to occur, and then used as a probe (OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBES). (Dorland, 28th ed)	Oligonucleotide
D011956	Receptors, Cell Surface	Cell surface proteins that bind signalling molecules external to the cell with high affinity and convert this extracellular event into one or more intracellular signals that alter the behavior of the target cell (From Alberts, Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2nd ed, pp693-5). Cell surface receptors, unlike enzymes, do not chemically alter their ligands.	Cell Surface Receptor,Cell Surface Receptors,Hormone Receptors, Cell Surface,Receptors, Endogenous Substances,Cell Surface Hormone Receptors,Endogenous Substances Receptors,Receptor, Cell Surface,Surface Receptor, Cell
D005865	Gestational Age	The age of the conceptus, beginning from the time of FERTILIZATION. In clinical obstetrics, the gestational age is often estimated from the onset of the last MENSTRUATION which is about 2 weeks before OVULATION and fertilization. It is also estimated to begin from fertilization, estrus, coitus, or artificial insemination.	Embryologic Age,Fetal Maturity, Chronologic,Chronologic Fetal Maturity,Fetal Age,Maturity, Chronologic Fetal,Age, Embryologic,Age, Fetal,Age, Gestational,Ages, Embryologic,Ages, Fetal,Ages, Gestational,Embryologic Ages,Fetal Ages,Gestational Ages
D006321	Heart	The hollow, muscular organ that maintains the circulation of the blood.	Hearts
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001483	Base Sequence	The sequence of PURINES and PYRIMIDINES in nucleic acids and polynucleotides. It is also called nucleotide sequence.	DNA Sequence,Nucleotide Sequence,RNA Sequence,DNA Sequences,Base Sequences,Nucleotide Sequences,RNA Sequences,Sequence, Base,Sequence, DNA,Sequence, Nucleotide,Sequence, RNA,Sequences, Base,Sequences, DNA,Sequences, Nucleotide,Sequences, RNA