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Cloning and characterization of GITR ligand

Genes & Immunity volume 4, pages 564–569 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

The gene encoding the natural ligand of murine glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR) was cloned and characterized. The putative GITR ligand (GITRL) is composed of 173 amino acids with features resembling those of type II membrane proteins and is 51% identical to the human activation-inducible TNF receptor (AITR) ligand, TL6. Expression of the GITRL is restricted to immature and mature splenic dendritic cells. GITRL binds GITR expressed on HEK 293 cells and triggers NF-κB activation. Functional studies reveal that soluble CD8-GITRL prevents CD4+CD25+ regulatory T-cell-mediated suppressive activities.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Shimon Sakaguchi for providing the DTA-1 hybridoma. This work was supported by the SRC Fund to the IRC at the University of Ulsan from KOSEF and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Korea, and US Public Health Service Grants R01EY013325 and P30EY02377 from the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

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  1. J D Kim and B K Choi: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Immunomodulation Research Center, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea

    J D Kim, B K Choi, J S Bae, I S Han, H W Lee & B S Kwon

  2. Immunomics, Inc., Nam-Ku, Ulsan, Korea

    U H Lee

  3. KOMED Institute for Life Science, Korea University, Anam-Dong, Sungbuk-Ku, Seoul, Korea

    B S Youn

  4. LSU Eye Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA

    D S Vinay & B S Kwon

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  1. J D Kim
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Correspondence to B S Kwon.

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Kim, J., Choi, B., Bae, J. et al. Cloning and characterization of GITR ligand. Genes Immun 4, 564–569 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.gene.6364026

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