B cell stimulatory factor-1/interleukin-4 mRNA is expressed by normal and transformed mast cells

• Published in: Cell Vol. 50; no. 5; pp. 809 - 818
• Main Authors: Brown, Melissa A., Pierce, Jacalyn H., Watson, Cynthia J., Falco, Joseph, Ihle, James N., Paul, William E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, MA Elsevier Inc 28.08.1987; Cell Press
• Subjects: Abelson murine leukemia virus; Analysis of the immune response. Humoral and cellular immunity; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Division; Cell Line; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Cell Transformation, Viral; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Growth Substances - genetics; Growth Substances - physiology; Immunobiology; Interleukin-3 - physiology; Interleukin-4; Lymphokines - genetics; Lymphokines - physiology; Lymphokines, interleukins ( function, expression); Mast Cells - cytology; Mast Cells - metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred DBA; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Regulatory factors and their cellular receptors; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate - pharmacology; Vertebrata; Interleukin 4; Mammalia; Messenger RNA; Mouse; Animal; Rodentia; Mast cell; Gene expression; Normal; Cell transformation
• ISSN: 0092-8674; 1097-4172
• DOI: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90339-4

BSF-1/interleukin-4, a product of activated T cells, has multiple biological activities that affect cells of most hematopoietic lineages. Among these is the ability of BSF-1 to costimulate the growth of mast cells and regulate the production of IgE. We demonstrate here that BSF-1 mRNA is expressed by a majority of transformed mast cell lines and by 5 IL-3-dependent nontransformed mast cell lines. BSF-1 activity, including the ability to enhance the growth of IL-3-dependent mast cells, was detected in the supernatants of transformed mast cells. The role of BSF-1 as a mast cell growth factor, its constitutive production by transformed mast cells, and the lack of IL-3 production by most of these cells raise the possibility that BSF-1 may act as an autocrine growth factor for some transformed mast cells. Furthermore, production of BSF-1 mRNA by nontransformed cells indicates that mast cells may be an important physiologic source of this factor.