Interleukin 3‐stimulated proliferation is sensitive to pertussis toxin: Evidence for a guanyl nucleotide regulatory protein‐mediated signal transduction mechanism

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Abstract
Interleukin 3 (IL-3) stimulates several biochemical and biological responses in IL-3-dependent tissue culture cells. We examined the possibility that guanyl nucleotide regulatory (G) proteins may transduce signals from IL-3 receptors. We report here that pertussis toxin (PT), which can covalently modify a subclass of G proteins, is capable of inhibiting IL-3-stimulated proliferation in a dose-dependent fashion. PT inhibiton of IL-3-stimulated proliferation could be overcome by using the Ca+ + ionophore A23187 in conjunction with TPA. PT could also inhibit IL-3-stimulated hexose transport. In the absence of IL-3, hexose transport could be stimulated by introducing GTPγS into intact cells. From these data we propose that IL-3 receptors transduce signals via a PT-sensitive G protein(s).