Xu-Guang Tai

Non-CD28 costimulatory molecules present in T cell rafts induce T cell costimulation by enhancing the association of TCR with rafts.

While CD28 functions as the major T cell costimulatory receptor, a number of other T cell molecules have also been described to induce T cell costimulation. Here, we investigated the mechanisms by which costimulatory molecules other than CD28 contribute to T cell activation. Non-CD28 costimulatory molecules such as CD5, CD9, CD2, and CD44 were present in the detergent-insoluble glycolipid-enriched (DIG) fraction/raft of the T cell surface, which is rich in TCR signaling molecules and generates a TCR signal upon recruitment of the TCR complex. Compared with CD3 ligation, coligation of CD3 and CD5 as an example of DIG-resident costimulatory molecules led to an enhanced association of CD3 and DIG. Such a DIG redistribution markedly up-regulated TCR signaling as observed by ZAP-70/LAT activation and Ca2+ influx. Disruption of DIG structure using an agent capable of altering cholesterol organization potently diminished Ca2+ mobilization induced by the coligation of CD3 and CD5. This was associated with the inhibition of the redistribution of DIG although the association of CD3 and CD5 was not affected. Thus, the DIG-resident costimulatory molecules exert their costimulatory effects by contributing to an enhanced association of TCR/CD3 and DIG.

A fundamental difference in the capacity to induce proliferation of naive T cells between CD28 and other co-stimulatory molecules

T cell activation requires two signals: a signal from the TCR and a co‐stimulatory signal provided by antigen‐presenting cells (APC). In addition to CD28, multiple molecules on the T cell have been described to deliver co‐stimulatory signals. Here, we investigated whether there exist quantitative or qualitative differences in the co‐stimulatory capacity between CD28 and other molecules. Anti‐CD28 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and mAb against CD5, CD9, CD2, CD44 or CD11a all induced activation of naive T cells in the absence of APC when co‐immobilized with a submitogenic dose of anti‐CD3 mAb. [ 3 H]Thymidine incorporation determined 2 days after co‐stimulation was all comparable. In contrast to progressive T cell proliferation induced by CD28 co‐stimulation, co‐stimulation by other T cell molecules led to a decrease in viable cell recovery along with the induction of apoptosis of once activated T cells. This was associated with a striking difference in IL‐2 production; CD28 co‐stimulation induced progressively increasing IL‐2 production, whereas co‐stimulation by other molecules produced limited amounts of IL‐2. Addition of recombinant IL‐2 to the latter cultures corrected the induction of apoptosis, resulting in levels of cellular proliferation comparable to those observed for CD28 co‐stimulation. These results indicate that a fundamental difference exists in the nature of co‐stimulation between CD28 and other molecules, which can be evaluated by the levels of IL‐2 production, but not simply by [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation.

CD5 Costimulation Up-Regulates the Signaling to Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Activation in CD4+CD8+ Thymocytes and Supports Their Differentiation to the CD4 Lineage

CD5 positively costimulates TCR-stimulated mature T cells, whereas this molecule has been suggested to negatively regulate the activation of TCR-triggered thymocytes. We investigated the effect of CD5 costimulation on the differentiation of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes. Coligation of thymocytes with anti-CD3 and anti-CD5 induced enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of LAT (linker for activation of T cells) and phospholipase C-γ (PLC-γ) compared with ligation with anti-CD3 alone. Despite increased phosphorylation of PLC-γ, this treatment down-regulated Ca2+ influx. In contrast, the phosphorylation of LAT and enhanced association with Grb2 led to activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase. When CD3 and CD5 on CD4+CD8+ thymocytes in culture were coligated, they lost CD8, down-regulated CD4 expression, and induced CD69 expression, yielding a CD4+(dull)CD8−CD69+ population. An ERK inhibitor, PD98059, inhibited the generation of this population. The reduction of generation of CD4+CD8− cells resulted from decreased survival of these differentiating thymocytes. Consistent with this, PD98059 inhibited the anti-CD3/CD5-mediated Bcl-2 induction. These results indicate that CD5 down-regulates a branch of TCR signaling, whereas this molecule functions to support the differentiation of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes by up-regulating another branch of TCR signaling that leads to ERK activation.

SYNERGY BETWEEN CD28 AND CD9 COSTIMULATION FOR NAIVE T-CELL ACTIVATION

Our previous study demonstrated that CD9 is expressed on most mature naive T-cells and delivers a potent costimulatory signal that functions independently of CD28. Here, we investigated whether this CD9-mediated signal is different from the CD28-mediated signal in the mode of costimulation and whether both signals function synergistically for T-cell activation. Anti-CD9 or anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody (mAb) increased [3H]TdR incorporation of naive T-cells in the absence of antigen-presenting cells (APC) when coimmobilized with submitogenic doses of anti-CD3 mAb. The levels of costimulation induced by ligation of CD9 and CD28 were comparable. However, the costimulatory effect differed between soluble anti-CD9 and CD28 mAb. A soluble form of anti-CD28 mAb could costimulate anti-CD3-triggered T-cells, whereas soluble anti-CD9 mAb failed to costimulate. Although anti-CD28 costimulated naive T-cells treated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) instead of anti-CD3 mAb, a combination of PMA plus anti-CD9 mAb could not induce T-cell activation. The combined costimulation of anti-CD3-triggered T-cells with anti-CD9 and anti-CD28 mAbs resulted in strikingly enhanced [3H]TdR uptake and lymphokine (IL-2 and IFN-gamma) production when compared to those induced by each costimulation. These results suggest that CD9 and CD28 induce T-cell costimulation using different signaling pathways, thereby inducing synergy in T-cell activation.

Suppression of allograft responses induced by interleukin-6, which selectively modulates interferon-gamma but not interleukin-2 production.

BACKGROUND Interferon (IFN)-gamma produced by activated T cells represents an important effector cytokine in mediating an inflammatory response. METHODS The present study investigated the modulation of allograft responses by inhibiting IFN-gamma production. C57BL/6 (B6) lymph node cells were stimulated with class II H2-disparate B6-C-H-2bm12 (bm12) spleen cells. RESULTS Addition of interleukin (IL)-6 to the primary B6 anti-bm12 mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) inhibited neither proliferative responses nor IL-2 production. However, IL-6 induced a dose-dependent suppression of IFN-gamma production in the same MLR cultures. B6 mice were engrafted with bm12 skin grafts, and IL-6 was given to bm12 skin graft recipients every other day. T cells from these recipient mice produced significantly less IFN-gamma in secondary B6 anti-bm12 MLR than those from bm12 skin graft recipients that had not received IL-6 injections. IFN-gamma production by these T cells was suppressed more strongly when the secondary MLR was conducted in the presence of IL-6. In addition to suppression of IFN-gamma expression, IL-6 injections resulted in prolongation of bm12 skin graft survival. The critical involvement of IFN-gamma in anti-bm12 rejection responses was substantiated by evidence that administration of anti-IFN-gamma monoclonal antibody strikingly prolonged bm12 skin graft survival. The prolongation of graft survival by in vivo treatment with either IL-6 or anti-IFN-gamma monoclonal antibody was found to be induced without blocking cellular infiltration of the grafts. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that IFN-gamma acts as a key cytokine in a B6 anti-bm12 allograft response and that IL-6 may down-regulate this response by inhibiting IFN-gamma production of alloreactive T cells.

Differential Involvement of a Fas-CPP32-Like Protease Pathway in Apoptosis of TCR/CD9-Costimulated, Naive T Cells and TCR-Restimulated, Activated T Cells

Our previous study showed that CD9 costimulation of TCR-triggered naive T cells elicits activation ([3H]TdR incorporation) that is similar to CD28 costimulation; however, unlike CD28 costimulation, CD9 costimulation results in apoptosis of these previously activated T cells. Here, we investigated whether the apoptosis occurring after TCR/CD9 stimulation is associated with a death pathway involving Fas stimulation and Fas-mediated caspase activation as observed in activation-induced cell death (AICD). In contrast to AICD, the apoptosis resulting from TCR/CD9 stimulation in C57BL/6 T cells was independent of Fas, because this form of apoptosis was not prevented by anti-Fas ligand mAb and was also induced in MRL/lpr T cells. AICD was observed at 12 h after the restimulation of activated T cells with anti-CD3 and reached a peak level at 24 h after this restimulation. CPP32-like protease activity was detected during AICD. Although TCR/CD9 stimulation-associated apoptosis was observed at 24 h after the stimulation of naive T cells and reached a peak level at 36 h after this stimulation, CPP32-like protease activity in these T cells was only marginal at all time points. Nevertheless, both forms of apoptosis were prevented similarly by two different peptide-based caspase inhibitors. These results indicate that the apoptosis that follows the T cell activation which is induced as a result of CD9 costimulation does not involve a Fas-CPP32-like protease pathway, but suggest that different caspase members are likely to be critical in this form of apoptosis.

A caspase inhibitor protects thymocytes from diverse signal-mediated apoptosis but not from clonal deletion in fetal thymus organ culture

A family of caspases has been implicated as an effector in various forms of apoptosis. The present study investigated whether this family of proteases is involved in the induction of intrathymic clonal deletion in comparison with apoptosis induced in the thymus by various signals. Potent apoptosis of thymocytes was induced in fetal thymus organ cultures (FTOC) when FTOC were treated with glucocorticoid, radiation, and anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb). As a model of negative selection based on apoptotic clonal deletion, the elimination of Vbeta8-expressing thymocytes was induced by inoculating Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) into FTOC. Addition of a peptide-based caspase inhibitor resulted in the protection of thymocytes from apoptosis induced by glucocorticoid, radiation, and anti-CD3 mAb. In contrast, the same treatment failed to prevent clonal deletion of Vbeta8high thymocytes. These results suggest that different pathways of cell death operate in the thymus that may be distinguished depending on the caspase/protease utilized in each pathway.