Both human alpha/beta and gamma interferons upregulate the expression of CD48 cell surface molecules.

We have established a cDNA library from interferon (IFN)-treated human lymphoblastoid Daudi cells and made use of differential screening to search for yet unidentified IFN-regulated genes. In the course of these studies, we have isolated a human cDNA coding for the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-linked (GPI) membrane glycoprotein CD48 (TCT-1, Blast-1). Various studies demonstrated that the murine CD48 is the predominant counterreceptor for the mouse CD2 and is involved in the regulation of T cell activation. Since the murine CD48 is functionally homologous to the human CD2 ligand LFA-3 (CD48), the function of the human CD48 remains unknown. In this report, we show that both Hu-IFN-alpha/beta and Hu-IFN-gamma increase the level of CD48 mRNA and upregulate the expression of CD48 proteins at the surface of various cultured human cell lines. However, the IFN have no effect on the expression of LFA-3. In addition, we show that IFN increase CD48 expression on peripheral blood mononuclear CD3+, CD14+, and CD19+ subpopulations. These data suggest that in addition to modulation of the conventional MHC class I and class II-restricted interactions, the IFN might promote MHC-unrestricted interactions of target cells with the immune cells by inducing the expression of the cell surface CD48 molecule.