Jurkat T Lymphocytes

The human Jurkat cell line was established from an acute T cell leukemia. Jurkat cells have been extensively used in vitro to delineate the signaling pathways induced by engagement of T-cell receptors, and to study the expression of various chemokine receptors susceptible to viral entry, particularly HIV [1]. T cell activation results in the nuclear translocation of transcription factors, such as NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cells), NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells), and IRFs (interferon regulatory factors) to induce the expression of target genes. Knowledge of their signaling cascades, ease of culture and transfection make Jurkat cells a convenient tool to screen for T-cell activation, anti-viral or anti-cancer drugs.

InvivoGen offers a family of Jurkat-derived cell lines presenting the following features:

• Stable expression of one or two reporter genes
• Designed for the study of the NFAT, NF-κB or IRF pathways
• Convenient monitoring of the transcription factor activation through the measurement of either a colorimetric signal provided by the secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase (SEAP), or a bioluminescent signal provided by the Lucia luciferase.

References:

1. Montano M. 2014. Model systems. Translational Biology in Medicine. 9-33.