Jurkat cells
Encyclopedia
Jurkat cells are an immortalized line of T lymphocyte cells that are used to study acute T cell leukemia
, T cell signaling
, and the expression of various chemokine receptors susceptible to viral entry, particularly HIV
. Jurkat cells are also useful in science because of their ability to produce interleukin 2
. Their primary use, however, is to determine the mechanism of differential susceptibility of cancers to drugs and radiation.
The Jurkat cell line (originally called JM) was established in the late 1970s from the peripheral blood of a 14 year old boy with T cell leukemia. Different derivatives of the Jurkat cell line can now be obtained from cell culture banks that have been mutated to lack certain genes.
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
, T cell signaling
Cell signaling
Cell signaling is part of a complex system of communication that governs basic cellular activities and coordinates cell actions. The ability of cells to perceive and correctly respond to their microenvironment is the basis of development, tissue repair, and immunity as well as normal tissue...
, and the expression of various chemokine receptors susceptible to viral entry, particularly HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
. Jurkat cells are also useful in science because of their ability to produce interleukin 2
Interleukin 2
Interleukin-2 is an interleukin, a type of cytokine immune system signaling molecule, which is a leukocytotrophic hormone that is instrumental in the body's natural response to microbial infection and in discriminating between foreign and self...
. Their primary use, however, is to determine the mechanism of differential susceptibility of cancers to drugs and radiation.
The Jurkat cell line (originally called JM) was established in the late 1970s from the peripheral blood of a 14 year old boy with T cell leukemia. Different derivatives of the Jurkat cell line can now be obtained from cell culture banks that have been mutated to lack certain genes.
Examples of derivatives
- The JCaM1.6 cell line is deficient in LckLckLck is a protein that is found inside specialized cells of the immune system called lymphocytes. Lck is a tyrosine kinase, which phosphorylates tyrosine residues of certain proteins involved in the intracellular signaling pathways of these lymphocytes...
kinaseKinaseIn chemistry and biochemistry, a kinase is a type of enzyme that transfers phosphate groups from high-energy donor molecules, such as ATP, to specific substrates, a process referred to as phosphorylation. Kinases are part of the larger family of phosphotransferases...
activity due to the deletion of part of the lckLckLck is a protein that is found inside specialized cells of the immune system called lymphocytes. Lck is a tyrosine kinase, which phosphorylates tyrosine residues of certain proteins involved in the intracellular signaling pathways of these lymphocytes...
gene (exonExonAn exon is a nucleic acid sequence that is represented in the mature form of an RNA molecule either after portions of a precursor RNA have been removed by cis-splicing or when two or more precursor RNA molecules have been ligated by trans-splicing. The mature RNA molecule can be a messenger RNA...
7) from the Lck transcriptTranscriptTranscript may refer to:* Transcript , a copy of a student's permanent academic record* Transcription , the process of creating an equivalent RNA copy of a sequence of DNA* Transcript , a record of all court proceedings...
.
- J.RT3-T3.5 cells have a mutation in the T cell receptorT cell receptorThe T cell receptor or TCR is a molecule found on the surface of T lymphocytes that is responsible for recognizing antigens bound to major histocompatibility complex molecules...
beta chain locus precluding expression of this chain. This affects the cells in several ways. They do not express surface CD3CD3CD3 or CD-3 may be:* CD3 , an antigen, cluster of differentiation protein , part of the T cell receptor complex on a mature T lymphocyte* Ford CD3 platform* MediaMax CD-3, copy protection scheme* MiniCD, a 3-inch CD...
or produce the T cell receptor alpha/beta heterodimer. Since they are deficient in the TCR complex, these cells are a useful tool for transfection studies using T cell receptor alpha and beta chain genes and are widely used in labs in which T cell receptorT cell receptorThe T cell receptor or TCR is a molecule found on the surface of T lymphocytes that is responsible for recognizing antigens bound to major histocompatibility complex molecules...
gene transfer technologies are studied.
- The I 9.2 and I 2.1 cell lines. The I 2.1 cell line is functionally defective for FADDFADDFas-Associated protein with Death Domain is an adaptor molecule that bridges the Fas-receptor, and other death receptors, to caspase-8 through its death domain to form the death-inducing signaling complex during apoptosis. -Signalling:...
and the I 9.2 cell line is functionally defective for caspase-8, both defective molecules being essential to apoptosisApoptosisApoptosis is the process of programmed cell death that may occur in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes and death. These changes include blebbing, cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation, and chromosomal DNA fragmentation...
or programmed cell deathProgrammed cell deathProgrammed cell-death is death of a cell in any form, mediated by an intracellular program. PCD is carried out in a regulated process which generally confers advantage during an organism's life-cycle...
of cells.
- The D1.1 cell line does not express CD4CD4CD4 is a glycoprotein expressed on the surface of T helper cells, monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. It was discovered in the late 1970s and was originally known as leu-3 and T4 before being named CD4 in 1984...
molecule, an important co-receptorCo-receptorA co-receptor is a cell surface receptor that binds a signalling molecule in addition to a primary receptor in order to facilitate ligand recognition and initiate biological processes, such as entry of a pathogen into a host cell.-Co-receptor Properties:...
in the activation pathway of helper T cells.
- The J.gamma1 subline contains no detectable phospholipase CPhospholipase CPhosphoinositide phospholipase C is a family of eukaryotic intracellular enzymes that play an important role in signal transduction processes. In general, this enzyme is denoted as Phospholipase C, although three other families of phospholipase C enzymes have been identified in bacteria and in...
-gamma1 (PLC-γ1) protein and therefore has profound defects in T cell receptor (TCR) calcium mobilizationCalcium signalingCalcium is a common signaling mechanism, as once it enters the cytoplasm it exerts allosteric regulatory effects on many enzymes and proteins...
, and nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFATNFATNuclear factor of activated T-cells is a general name applied to a family of transcription factors shown to be important in immune response. One or more members of the NFAT family is expressed in most cells of the immune system...
) activation (an important transcription factorTranscription factorIn molecular biology and genetics, a transcription factor is a protein that binds to specific DNA sequences, thereby controlling the flow of genetic information from DNA to mRNA...
in T cells).