Antigen-induced Erk1/2 activation regulates Ets-1-mediated sensitization of CD8+ T cells for IL-12 responses

J Leukoc Biol. 2010 Feb;87(2):257-63. doi: 10.1189/jlb.0409221. Epub 2009 Oct 20.

Abstract

The presence of IL-12 during antigen stimulation instructs naive CD8+ T cells for long-term effector responses, but their mechanisms of collaboration are not understood completely. Herein, we report that CD8+ T cells (OT-I T cells) stimulated with antigen for a longer duration show enhanced sensitization to IL-12 as a result of Erk1/2-dependent, increased Ets-1 phosphorylation and subsequent increases in IL-12Rbeta2 expression. Correspondingly, naive OT-I T cells stimulated by antigen for a longer duration in the presence of IL-12, irrespective of frequency of APCs, show robust effector maturation and mount long-term antigen-recall responses upon adoptive transfer. These results identify the role of antigen strength-dependent Erk1/2 activation for Ets-1-mediated collaboration with IL-12 in CD8+ T cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Enzyme Activation / drug effects
  • Enzyme Activation / genetics
  • Enzyme Activation / immunology
  • Interleukin-12 / immunology*
  • Interleukin-12 / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / genetics
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / immunology*
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / metabolism
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / genetics
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / immunology*
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Phosphorylation / genetics
  • Phosphorylation / immunology
  • Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1 / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1 / immunology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1 / metabolism
  • Receptors, Interleukin-12

Substances

  • Antigens
  • Ets1 protein, mouse
  • Il12rb2 protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1
  • Receptors, Interleukin-12
  • Interleukin-12
  • Mapk1 protein, mouse
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3