The Chimeric Receptor between Interleukin-2 Receptor β Chain and Interleukin-4 Receptor Transduces Interleukin-2 Signal

Transfectants expressing the chimeric receptor which has human interleukin-4 receptor (hIL-4R) in the extracellular domain and human interleukin-2 receptor beta chain (hIL-2R beta) in the cytoplasmic domain showed continuous growth in response to human interleukin-4 (hIL-4), whereas transfectants expressing hIL-4R responded only transiently to hIL-4. The pattern of tyrosine phosphorylation induced by hIL-4 in transfectants expressing the chimeric receptor was very similar to that in transfectants expressing hIL-2R beta, but different from that in transfectants expressing hIL-4R, indicating that the chimeric receptor transduces the interleukin-2 like growth signal by hIL-4.