T cell clonal anergy.

Recent experiments have elucidated two molecular mechanisms that may account for the failure of anergic T cell clones to initiate IL-2 gene transcription following TCR stimulation. First, a block has been identified in the ERK and JNK mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways; the block results from a failure to activate p21ras. It leads to reduced induction of c-Fos and JunB proteins and to a failure to form and phosphorylate the activator protein (AP)-1 heterodimers required for IL-2 gene transcriptional activation. Second, repressor molecules (Nil-2-a and a molecule related to AP-1) have been characterized that dominantly inhibit IL-2 gene transcription.