Human interleukin 2 (IL 2) receptor β chain allows transduction of IL 2‐induced proliferation signal(s) in a murine cell line

Interleukin 2 (IL 2) delivers cell growth signal by virtue of its interaction with the high-affinity receptor complex, which consists of two distinct IL 2-binding molecules: the IL 2 receptor alpha (IL 2R alpha) and beta (IL 2R beta) chains. Unlike many known growth factor receptors, neither of the IL 2R chains seems to contain a tyrosine kinase domain. In this report, we have shown that the human IL 2R beta chain expressed in a murine IL 3-dependent, non-lymphoid cell line can transduce IL 2-induced cell proliferation signal(s) in combination with the autologous mouse IL 2R alpha chain. This observation should provide a tool to dissect IL 2-induced signal transduction pathway in lymphoid and non-lymphoid cells.