Molecular Mechanisms of Notch Signaling in Lymphoid Cell Lineages Development: NF-κB and Beyond.

Notch is a ligand-receptor interaction-triggered signaling cascade highly conserved, that influences multiple lineage decisions within the hematopoietic and the immune system. It is a recognized model of intercellular communication that plays an essential role in embryonic as well as in adult immune cell development and homeostasis. Four members belong to the family of Notch receptors (Notch1-4), and each of them plays nonredundant functions at several developmental stages. Canonical and noncanonical pathways of Notch signaling are multifaceted drivers of immune cells biology. In fact, increasing evidence highlighted Notch as an important modulator of immune responses, also in cancer microenvironment. In these contexts, multiple transduction signals, including canonical and alternative NF-κB pathways, play a relevant role. In this chapter, we will first describe the critical role of Notch and NF-κB signals in lymphoid lineages developing in thymus: natural killer T cells, thymocytes, and thymic T regulatory cells. We will address also the role played by ligand expressing cells. Given the importance of Notch/NF-κB cross talk, its role in T-cell leukemia development and progression will be discussed.

Notch3: from subtle structural differences to functional diversity.

The Notch3 gene was identified, at the beginning of 90s, as the third mammalian Notch and was initially reported as being expressed in proliferating neuroepithelium. Since then, increasing evidence has demonstrated a number of structural and functional differences between Notch3 and both Notch1 and Notch2, which exhibit the highest structural similarity among the four mammalian Notch receptors. Possibly due to its more restricted tissue distribution, targeted deletion of murine Notch3 does not lead to embryonic lethality as is observed with targeted deletion of Notch1 and Notch2. However, genetic mutation, amplification and deregulated expression of Notch3 have been correlated with the disruption of cell differentiation in transgenic mice and to development of diseases in mice and humans. This review discusses the possible relationships between the structural differences and the nonredundant roles that Notch3 plays in the pathogenesis of the human disease cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy and in the regulation of murine T-cell differentiation and leukemogenesis.

Expression of metabotropic glutamate receptors in murine thymocytes and thymic stromal cells.

RT-PCR combined with immunoblotting showed the expression of group-I (mGlu1 and 5) and group-II (mGlu2 and 3) metabotropic glutamate receptors in whole mouse thymus, isolated thymocytes and TC-1S thymic stromal cell line. Cytofluorimetric analysis showed that mGlu-5 receptors were absent in CD4(-)/CD8(-) but present in more mature CD4(+) CD8(+) and CD4(+)CD8(-) thymocytes. mGlu-1a receptors showed an opposite pattern of expression with respect to mGlu5, whereas mGlu2/3 receptor expression did not differ between double negative and double positive cells. mGlu receptors expressed in both thymic cell components were functional, as indicated by measurements of polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis or cAMP formation. These data suggest a possible role for mGlu receptor signalling in the thymus.

Constitutive activation of NF-kappaB and T-cell leukemia/lymphoma in Notch3 transgenic mice.

The multiplicity of Notch receptors raises the question of the contribution of specific isoforms to T-cell development. Notch3 is expressed in CD4(-)8(-) thymocytes and is down-regulated across the CD4(-)8(-) to CD4(+)8(+) transition, controlled by pre-T-cell receptor signaling. To determine the effects of Notch3 on thymocyte development, transgenic mice were generated, expressing lck promoter-driven intracellular Notch3. Thymuses of young transgenics showed an increased number of thymocytes, particularly late CD4(-)8(-) cells, a failure to down-regulate CD25 in post-CD4(-)8(-) subsets and sustained activity of NF-kappaB. Subsequently, aggressive multicentric T-cell lymphomas developed with high penetrance. Tumors sustained characteristics of immature thymocytes, including expression of CD25, pTalpha and activated NF-kappaB via IKKalpha-dependent degradation of IkappaBalpha and enhancement of NF-kappaB-dependent anti-apoptotic and proliferative pathways. Together, these data identify activated Notch3 as a link between signals leading to NF-kappaB activation and T-cell tumorigenesis. The phenotypes of pre-malignant thymocytes and of lymphomas indicate a novel and particular role for Notch3 in co-ordinating growth and differentiation of thymocytes, across the pre-T/T cell transition, consistent with the normal expression pattern of Notch3.

Identification of an estrogen-mediated deoxyribonucleic acid-binding independent transactivation pathway on the epidermal growth factor receptor gene promoter.

To investigate the estrogenic effects on the transcriptional regulation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) gene, we assayed its promoter ability to direct transcription of the luciferase reporter gene after transfection into HeLa cells. Our studies demonstrated a dose-dependent activation of the EGFR gene transcription by ligand-bound estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha). This action was retained by the 36-bp core promoter fragment and did not require the receptor DNA binding domain, as demonstrated by analyzing the role of ERalpha deletion mutants on EGFR gene promoter-derived constructs. The 36-bp promoter fragment does not contain an estrogen response element but an imperfect thyroid hormone response element half-site that overlaps the Sp1 binding site. ERalpha does not bind this imperfect thyroid hormone response element half-site but is able to enhance binding of Sp1 to its site, in gel mobility shift assays, suggesting that the mechanism by which the receptor stimulated the transcription involved protein-protein interactions that replaced DNA binding. To explain this action, we propose a model in which induction of the EGFR gene expression by estrogens in HeLa cells is dependent upon the formation of a transcriptionally active ERalpha-Sp1 complex that binds to the GC-rich (Sp1) region of the minimal promoter.

The thymus at the crossroad of neuroimmune interactions.

The numerous relationships existing between the nervous and the immune systems suggest that the neural networks present in the intrathymic microenvironment may influence T-cell development. We previously reported that thymic neural-crest-derived stromal cells are involved in a neural differentiation pathway and are able to produce neurotrophic factors and neurokines that are in turn able to increase and/or modulate thymic-stromal cell neuronal phenotype. We also showed that EGF promotes a neural phenotype in thymic epithelial cells by enhancing the expression of neuronal-specific markers, neurotransmitters, and neuropoietic cytokines, such as IL-6 and CNTF. More recently we showed that the effect of EGF in directing thymic epithelial cells toward a neural-oriented cell fate is mediated by modulating the expression of genes directly involved in neurotypic differentiation (i.e., thrombospondin-1). EGF-induced regulation of stromal cells may also affect T-cell differentiation, as we observed that an EGF-pretreatment reduces the ability of thymic epithelial cells to sustain thymocyte differentiation in vitro. Finally, we demonstrated that a complex network involving the neurotrophin BDNF and its specific receptors may have a role in sustaining thymocyte precursor survival and supporting the thymocyte differentiation process. All together, our results suggest that the thymus may be the site of integration of different neuroimmune networks that are potentially involved in the regulation of thymocyte survival and/or differentiation.

Expression pattern of notch1, 2 and 3 and Jagged1 and 2 in lymphoid and stromal thymus components: distinct ligand-receptor interactions in intrathymic T cell development.

The suggested role of Notch1 or its mutants in thymocyte differentiation and T cell tumorigenesis raises the question of how the different members of the Notch family influence distinct steps in T cell development and the role played by Notch ligands in the thymus. We report here that different Notch receptor-ligand partnerships may occur inside the thymus, as we observed differential expression of Notch1, 2 and 3 receptors, their ligands Jagged1 and 2, and downstream intracellular effectors hairy and Enhancer of Split homolog 1 (HES-1) and hairy and Enhancer of Split homolog 5 (HES-5), depending on ontogenetic stage and thymic cell populations. Indeed, while Jagged2 is expressed in both stromal cells and thymocytes, Jagged1 expression is restricted to stromal cells. Moreover, a differential distribution of Notch3, with respect to Notch1, was observed in distinct age-related thymocyte subsets. Finally, Notch3 was preferentially up-regulated in thymocytes, following the induction of their differentiation by interaction with thymic epithelial cells expressing the cognate Jagged1 and 2 ligands, suggesting that, besides Notch1, Notch3 may also be involved in distinct steps of thymocyte development. Our results suggest that the Notch signaling pathway is involved in a complex interplay of T cell developmental stages, as a consequence of the heterogeneity and specific expression of members of the Notch receptor family and their cognate ligands, in distinct thymic cell compartments.

Prostaglandin E2 inhibits the interleukin-2 promoter activity through down-regulation of the Oct-dependent transcription of the octamer motif.

Prostaglandins, mainly those of the E series (PGE), are modulators of immune responses. Indeed PGE2 inhibits T cell activation and the transcription of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene, the major T cell growth factor. We observed that PGE2 inhibits IL-2 promoter transcription activity by interfering with signals activating the (-96 to -66 bp) octamer motif. This motif binds Oct-1 and Oct-2 as well as the phorbol ester and calcium ionophore-inducible jun and fos AP-1 factors. The PGE2-dependent down-modulation is observed in the presence of either the endogenous transacting factor Oct-1 or the exogenously expressed Oct-2. PGE2 does not regulate octamer function by influencing the jun and fos mRNA or Oct-1 protein levels or their DNA-binding abilities. Functional dissection of the octamer motif, through mutations of either the AP-1 or the octamer sites, revealed that the AP-1 site is dispensable for PGE2-dependent inhibition which instead may occur through the interference with the Oct-mediated transactivation of the octamer element. Our data suggest that the Oct-octamer interaction is a novel target of the PGE2-induced down-regulation of the IL-2 promoter.

Androgenic and antiandrogenic control on epidermal growth factor, epidermal growth factor receptor, and androgen receptor expression in human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP.

Both androgen and antiandrogen treatments enhance the proliferation rate of the hormone-dependent prostate cancer cell line LNCaP, expressing a mutated androgen receptor (AR). We studied the modification of the expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF), of its receptor (EGF-R), and of androgen receptor (AR) in the LNCaP cell line, under basal conditions and during androgen (R1881) and antiandrogen hydroxy-flutamide (OH-FLU) treatment. After prolonged R1881 administration, a marked increase of EGF release was observed, completely blocked by the addition of OH-FLU. The Scatchard plot analysis of EGF-R binding revealed two classes of binding sites with high and low affinity. The administration of OH-FLU alone or combined with R1881 did not modify the affinity constants, while the low-affinity component disappeared after androgen administration. Both androgen and antiandrogen administration led to a significant increase of the EGF-R high-affinity component. AR mRNA and protein levels were downregulated by R1881 treatment. Following OH-FLU administration, AR mRNA was slightly downregulated, and there was not a strict parallelism between AR mRNA levels and AR binding capacity. When combined with R1881, OH-FLU partially counteracted the androgen-induced AR downregulation. Our data show that EGF-R binding capacity is the only parameter constantly raised in cell proliferation with respect to quiescent cells, and highlights the nonunivocal action of OH-FLU on androgen-induced effects.

Positive and negative regulation of the composite octamer motif of the interleukin 2 enhancer by AP-1, Oct-2, and retinoic acid receptor.

The differentiating agent retinoic acid (RA) has been previously reported to interfere with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)/Ca2+-induced signals for the regulation of the -96 to -66-bp octamer motif found in the enhancer for the interleukin (IL)-2 gene, which encodes a major T lymphocyte growth factor. The IL-2 octamer motif is a composite cis-element which binds Oct-1 and Oct-2 as well as a TPA/Ca2+-inducible nuclear factor, previously termed octamer-associated protein (OAP40). We show here that Oct-2, despite the presence of an active transcriptional activation domain, requires TPA/Ca2+-induced signals to strongly transactivate the IL-2 octamer motif in Jurkat T cells. This Oct-2-dependent transactivation is inhibited by RA. The presence of an intact COOH-terminal domain of Oct-2 contributes to both TPA/Ca2+-induced transactivation and the RA-mediated repression. We also show that both Fos and Jun components of the AP-1 factors participate in the OAP40 complex. Furthermore, transfected c-jun, jun-B, jun-D, c-fos, or Fos-B expression vectors partially substitute for TPA and Ca2+ and cooperate with Oct-2 for the transactivation of the combined OAP/octamer cis-element. Mutations of the genuine octamer-binding site abrogate both the binding of Oct-1 and Oct-2 and the TPA/Ca2+-induced transactivation of the OAP/octamer motif. OAP confers to Oct-2 responsivity to both TPA/Ca2+ and RA, since specific mutations of the AP-1/OAP-binding site significantly reduce the transactivation by Oct-2 in response to TPA and Ca2+ and abolish the inhibition by RA. Furthermore, retinoic acid receptor (RAR) alpha is able to inhibit in vitro the formation of the complex between the nuclear AP-1/OAP and its specific binding site, resulting in the interference with Oct-2-dependent cis-regulatory function of this AP-1 element. Therefore, we propose that the TPA/calcium-activated AP-1/OAP element is the main target of positive or negative regulatory signals influencing the IL-2 octamer motif, through synergism with Oct-2 and antagonism by RAR.

Cell-specific bifunctional role of Jun oncogene family members on glucocorticoid receptor-dependent transcription.

Interaction between protein kinase C (PKC)- and glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated signaling is suggested by the ability of the PKC activating phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) to inhibit GR-dependent transcription of the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) long terminal repeat (LTR). Here we report that this interference is cell specific, as TPA augmented dexamethasone-induced transcriptional activation of the MMTV LTR in several T cell lines but was inhibitory in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts. TPA-GR synergism was determined to have occurred at the GR-responsive element (GRE) level by functional analysis of deletion mutants or synthetic GRE oligonucleotides driving chloramphenicol acetyl-transferase expression. Synergism required an intact GR DNA-binding domain, whereas amino- or carboxyl-terminal domains were dispensable. The effect was abrogated by the PKC inhibitor staurosporine, suggesting a role for PKC. Increased c-jun, jun-B, and jun-D expression above basal levels and increased transcriptional activity of AP-1/TPA responsive elements fused to chloramphenicol acetyl-transferase vectors were observed in T cells treated with TPA alone or in combination with dexamethasone. The ability of Jun proteins to cooperate with GR in T cells has been investigated after transfection of c-jun, jun-B, or jun-D expression vectors, which augmented GR-dependent transcription from either MMTV LTR or GRE. Conversely, c-jun and jun-B transfection blunted GR-dependent transcription in HeLa cells. The presence of c-fos had a negative influence on GR function and correlated with the cell-specific synergistic or antagonistic activity of Jun with respect to GR; high basal expression of c-fos as well as AP-1 DNA binding and transcriptional activity were observed in HeLa cells, but not in T cells. Furthermore overexpression of exogenous c-fos has an inhibitory effect on GR-dependent transcription from GRE in T cells. We propose that Jun plays a bifunctional role on GR-dependent transcriptional activation of GRE, selecting either synergistic or antagonistic activity depending on the cell-specific microenvironment. In this regard, intracellular levels of c-fos appear to be influential.

Glucocorticoid receptor-mediated suppression of the interleukin 2 gene expression through impairment of the cooperativity between nuclear factor of activated T cells and AP-1 enhancer elements.

The immunosuppressant hormone dexamethasone (Dex) interferes with T cell-specific signals activating the enhancer sequences directing interleukin 2 (IL-2) transcription. We report that the Dex-dependent downregulation of 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and calcium ionophore-induced activity of the IL-2 enhancer are mediated by glucocorticoid receptor (GR) via a process that requires intact NH2- and COOH-terminal and DNA-binding domains. Functional analysis of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) vectors containing internal deletions of the -317 to +47 bp IL-2 enhancer showed that the GR-responsive elements mapped to regions containing nuclear factor of activated T cells protein (NFAT) (-279 to -263 bp) and AP-1 (-160 to -150 bp) motifs. The AP-1 motif binds TPA and calcium ionophore-induced nuclear factor(s) containing fos protein. TPA and calcium ionophore-induced transcriptional activation of homo-oligomers of the NFAT element were not inhibited by Dex, while AP-1 motif concatemers were not stimulated by TPA and calcium ionophore. When combined, NFAT and AP-1 motifs significantly synergized in directing CAT transcription. Such a synergism was impaired by specific mutations affecting the trans-acting factor binding to either NFAT or AP-1 motifs. In spite of the lack of hormone regulation of isolated cis elements, TPA/calcium ionophore-mediated activation of CAT vectors containing a combination of the NFAT and the AP-1 motifs became suppressible by Dex. Our results show that the IL-2-AP-1 motif confers GR sensitivity to a flanking region containing a NFAT element and suggest that synergistic cooperativity between the NFAT and AP-1 sites allows GR to mediate the Dex inhibition of IL-2 gene transcription. Therefore, a Dex-modulated second level of IL-2 enhancer regulation, based on a combinatorial modular interplay, appears to be present.

Inheritance of ribosomal gene activity and level of DNA methylation of individual gene clusters in a three generation family.

Ribosomal gene activity and levels of DNA methylation were investigated by cytochemical and immunological methods in the nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) of individually recognised acrocentric chromosomes. Mendelian inheritance of ribosomal gene activity in a three generation family was demonstrated, together with consistent behaviour of individual gene clusters in different carriers, even when environmental conditions were changed. For most chromosomes, an inverse relationship between gene activity and the level of DNA methylation was observed. Exceptions were the two chromosomes 15 and chromosomes 13cp and 22p, all being strongly chromomycin-A3-positive in their short arms. These chromosomes bound to anti-5-MeC antibodies with differential frequencies in the different carriers. The possibility of involvement of repetitive GC-rich DNA in this behaviour is discussed.

Retinoic acid-induced down-regulation of the interleukin-2 promoter via cis-regulatory sequences containing an octamer motif.

Retinoic acid (RA) is known to influence the proliferation and differentiation of a wide variety of transformed and developing cells. We found that RA and the specific RA receptor (RAR) ligand Ch55 inhibited the phorbol ester and calcium ionophore-induced expression of the T-cell growth factor interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene. Expression of transiently transfected chloramphenicol acetyltransferase vectors containing the 5'-flanking region of the IL-2 gene was also inhibited by RA. RA-induced down-regulation of the IL-2 enhancer is mediated by RAR, since overexpression of transfected RARs increased RA sensitivity of the IL-2 promoter. Functional analysis of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase vectors containing either internal deletion mutants of the region from -317 to +47 bp of the IL-2 enhancer or multimerized cis-regulatory elements showed that the RA-responsive element in the IL-2 promoter mapped to sequences containing an octamer motif. RAR also inhibited the transcriptional activity of the octamer motif of the immunoglobulin heavy chain enhancer. In spite of the transcriptional inhibition of the IL-2 octamer motif, RA did not decrease the in vitro DNA-binding capability of octamer-1 protein. These results identify a regulatory pathway within the IL-2 promoter which involves the octamer motif and RAR.

Enhancement of natural-killer-cell susceptibility of human breast-cancer cells by estradiol and v-Ha-ras oncogene.

Natural killer (NK) cells are putative components of the cellular immune response to transformed cells. Since both estradiol treatment and ras-oncogene overexpression enhance tumorigenicity of hormone-dependent breast-cancer cells, we studied the effects of estrogen and of the activated v-Ha-ras oncogene on NK susceptibility of MCF-7 human breast-cancer cells. MCF-7 cells were sensitive to cytolysis mediated by resting and IL2-activated peripheral-blood non-adherent lymphocytes. Lysis appeared to be mediated by NK cells, since it was abrogated by treatment of effector cells with alpha-CD16 monoclonal antibody (MAb) plus complement (c'). Estradiol treatment of MCF-7 cells was able to significantly increase their sensitivity to the lysis by IL2-activated and unactivated peripheral-blood lymphocytes, as early as 24 hr throughout 10 days of hormone treatment. Hormone-insensitive, estrogen-receptor-negative breast-cancer cells (BT20) did not change their NK susceptibility after estradiol treatment. Increased NK susceptibility was also observed in v-Ha-ras-transfected and oncogene product overexpressing MCF-7 cells (MCF-7-ras) with respect to cells transfected with the selectable gene marker gpt alone (MCF-7-gpt). Overexpression of v-Ha-ras appeared to be able to bypass the need for estrogen to increase NK susceptibility, since estradiol-treated MCF-7-ras cells were not lysed more than untreated MCF-7-ras cells. The enhancement of NK susceptibility observed after both estradiol treatment and v-Ha-ras overexpression suggests that the hormone-mediated and the ras-oncogene-mediated signalling systems share events involved in the control of tumor-cell/host-effector-cell interactions.

Transcriptional regulation of the interleukin 2 gene by glucocorticoid hormones. Role of steroid receptor and antigen-responsive 5'-flanking sequences.

Dexamethasone treatment of the Jurkat T77 cell clone inhibited the enhancing effect of 12-O-tetradecanoylporbol-13-acetate (TPA) and the calcium ionophore A23187 on the interleukin 2 (IL2) mRNA levels and gene transcription from intact nuclei. Dexamethasone treatment of Jurkat T77 cells inhibited the TPA/A23187-dependent activation of the transcription from the transfected pIL2CAT, containing 600 base pairs of the genomic sequences upstream of the coding region of IL2 gene, including the TPA/calcium responsive cis-regulatory elements and promoter sequences, driving the expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene. Transfection of either Jurkat T77 cell clone or glucocorticoid-resistant Jurkat cells with a human glucocorticoid receptor cDNA under the transcriptional control of the Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat (LTR) (pRShGR alpha) significantly increased or induced, respectively, the dexamethasone-mediated inhibition of the TPA/A23187-dependent expression of pIL2-CAT as well as the enhancing effect on the expression of the cotransfected CAT gene under the control of the mouse mammary tumor virus LTR, as a marker of glucocorticoid receptor action. This suggests a role for the glucocorticoid receptor in mediating the dexamethasone action on IL2 gene expression. To study the cis-regulatory sequence specificity of the dexamethasone-induced interference with the TPA/A23187-mediated T cell activating signals, we studied the effect of the hormone on the regulatory elements contained in the Rous sarcoma virus and human T lymphotropic virus 1 long terminal repeats and the SV40 promoter, which are known to be transcriptionally enhanced by those activating agents. Dexamethasone was unable to interfere with the TPA/A23187-mediated enhancement of these cis-regulatory elements, suggesting that the hormone effect is specific for IL-2 gene sequences. Our data suggest that the dexamethasone-mediated transcriptional inhibition of the IL2 gene is mediated by an interference with the protein kinase C and calcium-mediated trans-activation of the antigen-responsive and T cell-specific elements lying in the 5'-flanking region of the gene.

Relationship between the number and function of human ribosomal genes.

The relative number of ribosomal RNA genes of the acrocentric chromosomes in one individual was measured by counting grains after in situ hybridization of 3H-labeled human 18S rDNA to fixed metaphase chromosomes. The relative amount of ribosomal RNA gene activity of each of the same chromosomes was estimated by determining the frequency with which the chromosome's nucleolus organizer region (NOR) was silver stained, the size of the silver-stained region, and how often the chromosome was found in satellite association. Results were similar in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated T-lymphocytes, Epstein-Barr virus transformed lymphoblasts, and fibroblasts. One chromosome 21 had few gene copies and low activity. One chromosome 22 had many gene copies but low activity. Both chromosomes 14 had few gene copies but high activity. The level of expression that can be achieved by rRNA gene clusters can, therefore, be determined by factors other than the number of gene copies.

Laron dwarfism: cellular unresponsiveness to GH demonstrated on cultured lymphocytes by a cytochemical method.

The response to growth hormone (GH) of cultured lymphocytes from three patients with Laron dwarfism (LD), one subject with growth hormone deficiency and a normal adult volunteer was examined by employing the cytochemical method of selective silver staining that evidentiates the chromosomal sites of those gene clusters (Nucleolus Organizers, NOs) which are actively involved in rRNA transcription. Lymphocytes from the normal donor responded to GH administration with a significant increase of the mean number of silver positive NOs per cell as well as lymphocytes from the growth hormone deficient patient (P less than 0.001). No response to GH administration was observed in lymphocytes from any of the three subjects with LD. These results suggest that the technique of selective silver staining of NOs can be usefully applied to the study of those growth disorders in which a peripheral unresponsiveness to GH is suspected, as demonstrated by data obtained on lymphocytes from patients with LD. This method seems to offer considerable potentialities for studying the cellular response also to other hormones and environmental stimuli.

Differential ribosomal gene responsiveness to human growth hormone is visualized by selective silver staining.

Differential activity of rRNA gene clusters following growth-hormone administration has been demonstrated in cultured lymphocytes from subjects with different genetic backgrounds, i.e., with or without in vivo peripheral responsiveness to the hormone. The influence of different culture conditions on ribosomal gene responsiveness was also tested. Ribosomal gene activity was evaluated by selective silver staining of nucleolus organizing regions. The results show that hormone-induced enhancement of transcriptional activity requires both genetically determined cell responsiveness and environmentally determined permissive factors.