The human IL-2 receptor gene contains a positive regulatory element that functions in cultured cells and cell-free extracts.

The 130-base pair fragment located between 220 and 90 base pairs upstream of the major transcription initiation site of the human interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor gene had positive regulatory effect on the early promoter of simian virus 40 as well as its own promoter. This fragment seems to be responsible for not only cell-specific but also lymphokine-induced expression of the IL-2 receptor gene as assessed by DNA transfection. The same DNA fragment directed cell-specific transcription of the IL-2 receptor gene in extract of HTLV-I-infected T cells, MT-1, but not of Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cells, CESS. The addition of small amounts of MT-1 extract to CESS extract resulted in specific expression of the IL-2 receptor gene, indicating that cell-specific expression is regulated by trans-acting molecules in MT-1 extract.