Victor Calvo

Diacylglycerol kinase α regulates the formation and polarisation of mature multivesicular bodies involved in the secretion of Fas ligand-containing exosomes in T lymphocytes.

Multivesicular bodies (MVBs) are endocytic compartments that contain intraluminal vesicles formed by inward budding from the limiting membrane of endosomes. In T lymphocytes, these vesicles contain pro-apoptotic Fas ligand (FasL), which may be secreted as ‘lethal exosomes’ upon fusion of MVBs with the plasma membrane. Diacylglycerol kinase α (DGKα) regulate the secretion of exosomes, but it is unclear how this control is mediated. T-lymphocyte activation increases the number of MVBs that contain FasL. DGKα is recruited to MVBs and to exosomes in which it has a double function. DGKα kinase activity exerts a negative role in the formation of mature MVBs, as we demonstrate by the use of an inhibitor. Downmodulation of DGKα protein resulted in inhibition of both the polarisation of MVBs towards immune synapse and exosome secretion. The subcellular location of DGKα together with its complex role in the formation and polarised traffic of MVBs support the notion that DGKα is a key regulator of the polarised secretion of exosomes.

ANTIOXIDANTS AND AP-1 ACTIVATION : A BRIEF OVERVIEW

Activity of the transcription factor AP-1 is controlled by different MAPK cascades that regulate the different AP-1 components at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional level. Recently, AP-1 has been shown to behave as a redox-sensitive transcription factor that can be induced under both pro-oxidative and antioxidative conditions. In this overview we summarize the signaling pathways that converge on the activation of AP-1 and the components of these pathways that have been shown to be targets of antioxidants. The activation of AP-1 by antioxidants may account for the expression of a number of genes that mediate important functions under physiological conditions.

Imaging Polarized Secretory Traffic at the Immune Synapse in Living T Lymphocytes

Immune synapse (IS) formation by T lymphocytes constitutes a crucial event involved in antigen-specific, cellular and humoral immune responses. After IS formation by T lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells, the convergence of secretory vesicles toward the microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) and MTOC polarization to the IS are involved in polarized secretion at the synaptic cleft. This specialized mechanism appears to specifically provide the immune system with a fine strategy to increase the efficiency of crucial secretory effector functions of T lymphocytes, while minimizing non-specific, cytokine-mediated stimulation of bystander cells, target cell killing and activation-induced cell death. The molecular bases involved in the polarized secretory traffic toward the IS in T lymphocytes have been the focus of interest, thus different models and several imaging strategies have been developed to gain insights into the mechanisms governing directional secretory traffic. In this review, we deal with the most widely used, state-of-the-art approaches to address the molecular mechanisms underlying this crucial, immune secretory response.