This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints, Permissions and Rights Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Neufeld, D. S. Articles by Davies, T. F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Neufeld, D. S. Articles by Davies, T. F.

Detection and Regulation of Rat Thyroid MHC Class II (RT1.D) Transcripts

Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine New York, New York 10029

Address requests for reprints to: Dr. D. S. Neufeld, Box 1055, Mount Sinai Medical Center, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, New York 10029.

Abstract

We have reexamined 1B-6 cells, a cloned line of FRTL-5 rat thyroid cells in order to determine whether such cells demonstrate constitutive MHC class II gene expression. A new homologous cDNA probe for the RT1.D -chain region was developed and proved significantly more sensitive at detecting specific mRNA levels in 1B-6 cells than a human class II -chain specific probe used in previous studies. Recombinant rat -interferon induced MHC class II (RT1.D) antigen at concentrations as low as 1 U/ml (in the presence of bovine TSH), as detected by both -chain specific mRNA transcripts and surface antigen expression. There was no evidence for constitutive expression of MHC class II transcripts in proliferating 1B-6 cells in the absence of -interferon, even when bovine TSH was present. These studies add further evidence to our hypothesis that MHC class II antigen expression in thyroid cells is secondary to external stimulating factors.

FOOTNOTES

This work was supported in part by Grants DK-28242 and DK-35764 from the NIDDK.

Received for publication October 26, 1987. Accepted for publication February 26, 1988.