Cloning and functional analysis of erythropoietin-, interleukin-3- and thrombopoietin-inducible genes.

Abstract

The receptor for thrombopoietin (TPO) is a member of the cytokine receptor superfamily. This superfamily also includes the receptors for erythropoietin (EPO), interleukin 3 (IL-3), GM-CSF and several other cytokines. Stimulation of cytokine receptors with their cognate ligands results in the activation of multiple signal transduction pathways and ultimately in the induction of new genes. The cloning of these specific genes provides one approach for analyzing cytokine-specific responses. In the current study, we have designed a strategy for isolating inducible genes. While the strategy has been used to identify EPO-specific and IL-3-specific inducible genes, the strategy can be extended to clone TPO-inducible genes.