These studies have led to the characterization of 
physiologic roles for transcriptional attenuation 
and mRNA stability in the regulation of specific 
T cell genes. In addition, an apparently novel T cell 
activation pathway has been characterized that is 
both defined and regulated by the CD28 surface 
molecule. This pathway was originally defined be- 
cause CD28 activation was found to render T cell 
proliferation resistant to the immunosuppressant 
cyclosporine. Further studies have demonstrated 
that the CD28 pathway coordinately regulates the 
expression of a group of lymphokine genes in anti- 
gen-activated T cells. The lymphokines that appear 
to be regulated by this pathway include interleu- 
kin-2, interferon-7, lymphotoxin, tumor necrosis 
factor-a, and granulocyte macrophage colony-stim- 
ulating factor. These lymphokines have previously 
been described as being associated with helper T 
cell-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions. 
The CD28 activation pathway enhances the expres- 
sion of this class of lymphokine genes, as a result of 
a specific increase in the stability of lymphokine 
mRNAs. The laboratory is continuing its work on 1) 
characterizing the molecular basis for the stabiliza- 
tion of lymphokine genes by the CD28 activation 
pathway and 2) defining the role of transcriptional 
attenuation in regulating T cell gene expression 
through defined surface activation pathways. 
Dr. Thompson is also Assistant Professor of Medi- 
cine and of Microbiology and Immunology at the 
University of Michigan Medical School and a mem- 
ber of the Cell and Molecular Biology graduate pro- 
gram at the University of Michigan. 
PUBLICATIONS 
Articles 
Bender, TP., Catron, K.M., Kuehl, WM., and Thompson, C.B. 1988. Sense and anti-sense transcription in the 
murine c-myb attenuator region. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 141:324-329. 
Gottesdiener, K.M., Karpinski, B.A., Lindsten, T, Strominger, J.L., Jones, N.H., Thompson, C.B. , and Leiden, 
J.M. 1988. Isolation and structural characterization of the human 4F2 heavy-chain gene, an inducible gene 
involved in T-lymphocyte activation. Mol Cell Biol 8:3809-3819. 
June, C.H., Jackson, K.M., Ledbetter, J.A., Leiden, J.M. , Lindsten, T, and Thompson, C.B. 1989. Two distinct 
mechanisms of interleukin-2 gene expression in human T lymphocytes. J Autoimmun 2(Suppl):55-65. 
June, C.H., Ledbetter, J.A., Lindsten, T, and Thompson, C.B. 1989. Evidence for the involvement of three dis- 
tinct signals in the induction of IL-2 gene expression in human T lymphocytes. J Immunol 143:153-161. 
Leiden, J.M. , Yang, L.-H., Morle, G.D., June, C.H., Lindsten, T, Thompson, C.B. , and Karpinski, B. 1989. The 
4F2 heavy chain gene: a molecular model of inducible gene expression in human T cells. J Autoimmun 
2(Suppl):67-79. 
Lindsten, T, June, C.H., Ledbetter, J. A., Stella, G., and Thompson, C.B. 1989. Regulation of lymphokine mes- 
senger RNA stability by a surface-mediated T cell activation pathway. Science 244:339-343. 
Lindsten, T, June, C.H., and Thompson, C.B. 1988. Multiple mechanisms regulate c-myc gene expression 
during normal T cell activation. £MBO /7:2787-2794. 
Lindsten, T, June, C.H., and Thompson, C.B. 1988. Stimulation of the antigen receptor complex leads to 
transcriptional activation of the c-myc gene in normal human T cells. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 
141:223-230. 
Lindsten, T, June, C.H., and Thompson, C.B. 1988. Transcription of T cell antigen receptor genes is induced 
by protein kinase C activation. J Immunol 141:1769-1774. 
Lindsten, T, June, C.H., Thompson, C.B. , and Leiden, J.M. 1988. Regulation of 4F2 heavy-chain gene expres- 
sion during normal human T-cell activation can be mediated by multiple distinct molecular mechanisms. 
Mol Cell Biol 8:5820-5826. 
McCormack, WT , Tjoelker, L.W, Barth, C.F., Carlson, L.M. , Petryniak, B. , Humphries, E.H., and Thompson, 
C.B. 1989. Selection for B cells with productive IgL gene rearrangements occurs in the bursa of Fabricius 
during chicken embryonic development. Genes Dev 3:838-847. 
Continued 
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