Strong TCR ligation without costimulation causes rapid onset of Fas-dependent apoptosis of naive murine CD4+ T cells

J Immunol. 1999 Aug 15;163(4):1817-26.

Abstract

Activation-induced cell death of T cells typically occurs late in the primary response after a prior proliferative response. Here, we describe a novel form of cell death in which purified naive murine CD4+ cells undergo apoptosis within 18 h in vitro after strong TCR ligation. Such rapid-onset TCR-mediated death of T cells does not involve cell division and is Fas-dependent, inhibited by CD28 (and IL-6) costimulation and enhanced by IL-4 and IL-7; by contrast, spontaneous death of CD4+ cells cultured alone is Fas-independent and inhibited by IL-4 and IL-7. TCR-mediated Fas-dependent death of CD4+ cells is prevented by combined TCR/Fas ligation and by drugs that inhibit calcineurin-dependent signaling and mitogen-activated protein kinase MEK1 activation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / metabolism
  • Apoptosis / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Cell Cycle / immunology
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytokines / pharmacology
  • Fas Ligand Protein
  • Immunologic Memory
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Intracellular Fluid / immunology
  • Ligands
  • Lymphocyte Activation*
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / biosynthesis
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C3H
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / immunology
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / immunology
  • Species Specificity
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / cytology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • Time Factors
  • fas Receptor / immunology
  • fas Receptor / metabolism
  • fas Receptor / physiology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Cytokines
  • Fas Ligand Protein
  • Fasl protein, mouse
  • Ligands
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • fas Receptor