Biologic properties of molecularly cloned and expressed murine interleukin-3.

Interleukin-3 (IL-3) (multipotential colony-stimulating factor [multi-CSF] ) is an important regulator of hemopoiesis. We recently isolated a cDNA clone of this gene and describe in this manuscript the biologic properties of the expressed gene product. An SV40 expression vector carrying cDNA encoding murine interleukin-3 was constructed so that expression of the IL-3 gene was placed under the control of the SV40 early promoter. When the expression vector was transfected to COS-1 monkey cells, IL-3 activity was secreted into the medium, reaching maximal levels 72 hours after transfection. The IL-3 produced by the COS-1 cells was partially purified using diethylaminoethyl Sephacel and phenyl-Sepharose, and its chromatographic properties were the same as IL-3 produced by the WEHI-3 cell line. The biologic activities of the "expressed" IL-3 include the "induction" of 20-alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20-alpha-SDH) in splenic lymphocytes from nu/nu mice, proliferative activity for 32D cl-23 and FDC-P1 cell lines, and colony-stimulating activity for granulocyte-macrophage, eosinophil, megakaryocyte, natural killer-like, erythroid, and multipotential colony-forming cells from murine fetal liver and adult bone marrow.