Altered composition of the immunological synapse in an anergic, age-dependent memory T cell subset

J Immunol. 2000 Jun 15;164(12):6105-12. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.164.12.6105.

Abstract

In young mice, memory CD4 T lymphocytes with high P-glycoprotein activity (P-gp(high)) are unresponsive to TCR stimulation in vitro but can be activated by PMA plus ionomycin. The proportion of these hyporesponsive cells increases considerably with age. The earliest events in T cell activation were studied in P-gp(high) and P-gp(low) CD4 memory cells at the single-cell level using confocal immunofluorescence methods. Recruitment of both linker for activation of T cells (LAT) and protein kinase C-theta to the immunological synapse, i.e., the site of T cell interaction with stimulator cells, was greatly impaired in P-gp(high) cells from both young and old mice. Translocation of NF-AT to the nucleus, CD69 expression, and proliferative capacity were also diminished to a similar extent in P-gp(high) cells under the same activation conditions. In contrast, movement of c-Cbl to the synapse region occurred in a high proportion of CD4 memory T cells regardless of P-gp subset or age. Moreover, although P-gp(low) cells frequently recruited both c-Cbl and LAT to the APC synapse, cells in the less responsive P-gp(high) subset frequently relocated c-Cbl, but not LAT, to the interface region. In some systems, c-Cbl can act as a negative regulator of receptor-dependent tyrosine kinases, and alterations of c-Cbl to LAT ratios in the P-gp(high) subset may thus contribute to the hyporesponsiveness of this age-dependent, anergic memory cell population.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / biosynthesis
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing*
  • Aging / immunology*
  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD / biosynthesis
  • Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / biosynthesis
  • Biological Transport / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / enzymology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Clonal Anergy*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Immunologic Memory*
  • Isoenzymes / metabolism
  • Lectins, C-Type
  • Male
  • Membrane Proteins*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Inbred CBA
  • Models, Immunological
  • NFATC Transcription Factors
  • Nuclear Proteins*
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Protein Kinase C / metabolism
  • Protein Kinase C-theta
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-cbl
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / enzymology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases*

Substances

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Antigens, CD
  • Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte
  • CD69 antigen
  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Isoenzymes
  • Lat protein, mouse
  • Lectins, C-Type
  • Membrane Proteins
  • NFATC Transcription Factors
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-cbl
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Prkcq protein, mouse
  • Protein Kinase C
  • Protein Kinase C-theta
  • Cbl protein, mouse