PHOSPHORYLATION AND ACTIVATION OF THE JAK-3 JANUS KINASE IN RESPONSE TO INTERLEUKIN-2

LUTERLEUKIN-2 is an autocrine growth factor for T cells(1,2) which also activates other cells including B cells(3) and natural killer cells(4). The subunits of the interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) lack intrinsic enzymatic activity, but protein tyrosine phosphorylation is a critical event following ligand binding and src family kinases, such as Lck, are known to be activated by IL-2 (refs 5-9). However, IL-2 signalling can occur in the absence of receptor interaction with Lck, suggesting that other protein tyrosine kinases might be important(10). Here we report that a new member of the Janus family of kinases (Jak-3) is coupled to the IL-2R in human peripheral blood T cells and natural killer cells.