Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4H7, Canada
Correspondence: David W. Hoskin, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4H7, Canada. E-mail: dwhoskin{at}is.dal.ca
|
|
|---|
Key Words: phosphoinositide 3-kinase cytotoxic T lymphocyte signal transduction proliferation gene expression adhesion molecules cytotoxic effector function
|
|
|---|
chain
(CD25) and growth-promoting cytokines such as IL-2 [reviewed in ref. 3
], as well as the Bcl-XL survival protein
[4
]. Engagement of the high-affinity IL-2 receptor by
IL-2 results in signal transduction events which drive both T-cell
proliferation and differentiation but, paradoxically, also serve to
negatively regulate the growth and activation of both T and B
lymphocytes [reviewed in ref. 5
]. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) is a lipid and protein serine kinase which is known to be a key component of many eukaryotic signaling pathways, including those involved in the activation of T lymphocytes [reviewed in ref. 6 ]. Class IA PI3-K found in T lymphocytes is a heterodimer composed of a regulatory 85-kDa subunit (p85) and a catalytic 110-kDa subunit (p110) [reviewed in ref. 7 ]. Interaction of src homology-2 (SH2) domains on the p85 subunit with phosphorylated tyrosine residues on receptor-associated tyrosine kinases, as well as nonreceptor tyrosine kinases and kinase substrates, recruits PI3-K to activated receptors where the p110 subunit phosphorylates cell membrane-associated phosphatidylinositols. This process results in the production of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate, phosphatidylinositol 3,4-biphosphate, and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate, of which phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate is believed to be the major product in vivo. It is interesting that the role, if any, of the serine kinase activity of PI3-K during T-cell activation is not yet known [6 ].
Signaling through the T-cell antigen receptorCD3 complex, CD28, and
the IL-2 receptor has been demonstrated to involve PI3-K activation
[8
9
10
]. Although PI3-K binds directly to CD28 via the
173(p)YMNM motif [11
], coupling of PI3-K to
the T-cell antigen receptor and the IL-2 receptor appears to occur
independently of a (p)YMNM motif since these signaling molecules lack
this particular motif [6
]. Instead, PI3-K associates
with the CD3-
polypeptide chain of the T-cell antigen receptorCD3
complex via the
A "Reth motif"
[YXXL(X)78YXXL/I] [12
]. Although the
details of PI3-K coupling to the IL-2 receptor are not yet clear, PI3-K
is activated in response to signals from the S region (amino acids
267322) of the IL-2 receptor ß chain [13
]. PI3-K
lipid products are believed to function as "second messengers"
during T-cell activation [6
]. A recent report suggests
that the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1, which exhibits increased
association with the p85 subunit of PI3-K in Jurkat T cells after
T-cell receptor ligation, may be an important regulator of T-cell
receptor-associated PI3-K signaling [14
].
PTEN, another protein tyrosine phosphatase, has also been
shown to function as a phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphatase in T
lymphocytes and may, therefore, down-regulate antigen receptor-induced
activation of T cells by counteracting the effects of PI3-K activation
[15
].
Although there is mounting evidence from studies with CD4+ T cells that PI3-K is an important element of signal transduction pathways associated with the T-cell receptorCD3 complex, CD28, and the IL-2 receptor of T helper cells [6 ], the role of PI3-K activation during CTL development is not well understood. In this study we used two structurally different inhibitors of PI3-K, wortmannin and LY294002, to investigate the role of PI3-K in the signal transduction cascade leading to mouse CD8+ T-cell activation and differentiation into MHC-unrestricted CTL in response to mitogenic anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb). Wortmannin is a fungal metabolite that irreversibly blocks the catalytic activity of PI3-K [16 ]. Although wortmannin has been widely used to study the role of PI3-K in signal transduction [6 ], this cell-permeable inhibitor of PI3-K can also inhibit both phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase and phospholipase A2 at high nanomolar concentrations and is, therefore, a less selective inhibitor of PI3-K than LY294002 [17 , 18 ]. LY294002 is a highly selective, cell-permeable inhibitor of PI3-K which acts as a competitive antagonist for the ATP-binding site of the PI3-K p110 subunit [19 ]. Here we show that PI3-K inhibition during anti-CD3-activated CTL induction results in MHC-unrestricted effector cells with an impaired ability to bind to and kill P815 mastocytoma target cells. Our data are consistent with PI3-K as a key mediator of signaling through the T-cell receptorCD3 complex, CD28, and the IL-2 receptor of CD8+ mouse T lymphocytes.
|
|
|---|
Medium and reagents
RPMI 1640 medium (ICN Biomedicals Canada Ltd., Mississauga,
Ontario, Canada), hereafter referred to as complete RPMI 1640 medium,
was supplemented with 10 mM L-glutamine, 100 µg/mL of
streptomycin, 100 U/mL of penicillin (all from ICN Biomedicals Canada),
5 mM
N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic
acid buffer (pH 7.4) (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO), and 5%
heat-inactivated (at 56°C for 30 min) fetal calf serum (Life
Technologies Ltd., Burlington, Ontario, Canada). Mouse recombinant IL-2
(rIL-2) was obtained from Genzyme Diagnostics (Cambridge, MA). Specific
activity was expressed as units per milliliter where one unit is
defined as the reciprocal of the dilution required to cause 50%
stimulation of mouse CTLL-2 cells. The hybridoma (clone 145-2C11) that
produces hamster anti-mouse CD3
mAb [20] was kindly
provided by J. Bluestone (University of Chicago, Chicago, IL). Rat
anti-mouse CD28 mAb, rat anti-mouse CD25 mAb (fluorescein
isothiocyanate conjugated), and rabbit complement were from Cedarlane
Laboratories (Hornby, Ontario, Canada). Rat anti-mouse CD4, rat
anti-mouse CD8, rat anti-mouse CD11a, and rat anti-mouse CD54 mAbs were
from hybridomas (GK1.5, 2.43, FD441.8, and YN1/1.7.4, respectively)
obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (Manassas, VA).
Fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated mouse anti-rat immunoglobulin G
F(ab')2 and purified rat immunoglobulin G were purchased
from Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories (West Grove, PA).
Anti-asialoGM1 rabbit polyclonal antiserum was from Wako Chemicals
(Richmond, VA). Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), ionomycin, and
dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were obtained from Sigma. Wortmannin and
LY294002 were purchased from Research Biochemicals (Natick, MA). Stock
solutions of wortmannin and LY294002, prepared by dissolving the
reagents in DMSO, were stored at -20°C. P815 murine
(H-2d) mastocytoma cells and CTLL-2 cells were obtained
from American Type Culture Collection and maintained by in vitro
passage in complete RPMI 1640 medium (plus 50 U/mL of IL-2 for CTLL-2
cells).
Generation of anti-CD3-activated T lymphocytes
C57BL/6 spleen cell preparations were depleted of erythrocytes
by osmotic shock and passaged once through nylon wool columns (Cellular
Products, Inc., Buffalo, NY) to remove most B cells and macrophages
[21
]. Nylon wool nonadherent spleen cells were depleted
of natural killer cells and CD4+ T cells by sequential
treatment with anti-asialoGM1 antiserum and rat anti-mouse CD4 mAb plus
rabbit complement. The resulting CD8+ T-cell-enriched
preparation [which was essentially devoid of CD4+ T and
natural killer cells by flow-cytometric analysis] was adjusted to a
concentration of 4 x 106 cells/mL in complete RPMI
1640 medium and seeded into wells of a 24-well flat-bottom tissue
culture plate. CTLs were induced as previously described
[22] by stimulating CD8+ T cells
with soluble anti-CD3 mAb (1:20 dilution of hybridoma supernatant or
5 µg/mL). Cultures were maintained for 48 h at 37°C and 5%
CO2 in a 95% humidified atmosphere. Anti-CD3-activated
CTLs were then collected for use. In some experiments, CD4+
T cells were obtained by sequential treatment of nylon wool nonadherent
spleen cells with anti-asialoGM1 antiserum and rat anti-mouse CD8 mAb
plus rabbit complement. The resulting CD4+ T cells were
cultured and activated with anti-CD3 mAb, as described for
CD8+ T cells.
Akt1/protein kinase B
assay
Akt1 activity in mouse T cells activated with anti-CD3 mAb in
the absence or presence of PI3-K inhibitors was measured using an Akt1
immunoprecipitation kinase assay kit purchased from Upstate
Biotechnology (Lake Placid, NY). Briefly, 107 T cells were
stimulated with soluble anti-CD3 mAb (1:20 dilution of hybridoma
supernatant) in the absence or presence of 100 nM wortmannin or 10 µM
LY294002. Five minutes later, cell lysates were prepared from which
Akt1 was subsequently isolated by immunoprecipitation with specific
antibody. Immunoprecipitated Akt1 was incubated for 10 min at 30°C
with 3 µg of Bad in the presence of 500 µM ATP and 75 mM
MgCl2. Bad was then resolved by sodium dodecyl
sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, transferred to
nitrocellulose, and probed with a 1:500 dilution of anti-phospho-Bad
mAb to detect phosphorylated Bad. Individual phosphorylated Bad protein
bands on the immunoblot were quantified by densitometric analysis.
51Cr-release assay
MHC-unrestricted CTLs induced with anti-CD3 mAb were washed
extensively with phosphate-buffered saline, resuspended in complete
RPMI 1640 medium, and seeded into wells of a 96-well V-bottom
microtiter plate in graded dilutions to obtain the desired effector
cell/target cell ratio. P815 mastocytoma cells were labeled with 100
µCi of Na251CrO4 (ICN Biomedicals
Canada) for 1 h at 37°C, washed three times, resuspended in
complete RPMI 1640 medium, and added to the microtiter plate at a
concentration of 5 x 103 cells/well. The microtiter
plate was then incubated for 4 h at 37°C and 5% CO2
in a 95% humidified atmosphere. After centrifugation of the microtiter
plate, 100 µL of supernatant were collected from each well and
51Cr-release (in cpm) was determined by
-counting.
Percent lysis was determined by the following equation % lysis =
(E - S)/(M - S) x 100, where E is the release from
experimental samples, S is the spontaneous release, and M is the
maximum release upon lysis with 10% sodium dodecyl sulfate.
T-cell proliferation assay
After 48 h of stimulation, 50-µL volumes of
CD8+ or CD4+ T cells were transferred to
quadruplicate wells of a 96-well round-bottom microtiter plate. The
cultures were pulsed with 0.5 µCi of tritiated thymidine
([3H]TdR; specific activity, 65 Ci/mmol; ICN Canada) per
well and maintained at 37°C in a 5% CO2 humidified
atmosphere for 6 h to measure DNA synthesis. Cultures were
harvested onto glass fiber mats (ICN Canada) using a Titer-Tek multiple
sample harvester, and [3H]TdR incorporation was
determined by liquid scintillation counting.
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
IL-2 in supernatants from 24-h cultures of anti-CD3-activated
CD8+ T cells were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using paired mAb, recombinant IL-2, and
protocols supplied by PharMingen (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada).
Conjugate formation assay
This procedure was performed as previously described
[23].
Semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction
Total RNA was isolated from CTLs using TRIzol reagent as
recommended by the manufacturer (Life Technologies) after 4 h (Fas
ligand), 24 h (IL-2), or 48 h (granzyme B, perforin) of
culture. Single-stranded complementary DNA (cDNA) was synthesized from
0.5 µg of RNA with 200 U of Moloney murine leukemia virus-derived
reverse transcriptase (RT) (Life Technologies) in the presence of 0.2
mM deoxynucleotide triphosphates, 1 µg of random hexamers, and 10 mM
dithiothreitol. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted in an
automatic DNA thermocycler (MJ Research, Inc., Watertown, MA). Each PCR
used equal amounts of cDNA, 2.5 U of Taq DNA polymerase
(Life Technologies), 0.2 mM deoxynucleotide triphosphates, and each
primer pair (0.5 µM) in a 1:10 dilution of PCR buffer [2 M KCl, 1 M
Tris-HCl (pH 8.4), 1 M MgCl2, 1 mg/mL of bovine serum
albumin]. The following primer pairs were used for PCR (amplicon size
is given after the reverse primer). "F" refers to forward primer
and "R" refers to reverse primer. All primers were designed to bind
intron-bridging exons of the respective gene: glyceraldehyde
3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) (F) 5'-ACTCACGGCAAATTCAACGGC-3' and
GAPDH (R) 5'-ATCACAAACATGGGGGCATCG-3' (product size, 247 bp); perforin
(F) 5'-TCAATAACGACTGGCGTGTGG-3' and perforin (R)
5'-GTGGAGCTGTTAAAGTTGCGG-3' (product size, 252 bp);
granzyme B (GzmB) (F) 5'-GCCCACAACATCAAAGAACAG-3' and granzyme B (R)
5'-GAGAACACATCAGCAACTTGGG-3' (product size, 889 bp); Fas ligand (F)
5'-ATGGTTCTGGTGGCTCTGGT-3' and Fas ligand (R)
5'-GTTTAGGGGCTGGTTGTTGC-3' (product size, 362 bp); and IL-2 (F)
5'-TGATGGACCTACAGGAGCTCCTGAG-3' and IL-2 (R)
5'-GAGTCAAATCCAGAACATGCCGCAG-3' (product size, 170 bp).
PCR mixtures were overlaid with 100 µL of mineral oil. The amplification protocols for GAPDH (25 cycles), Gzm B (28 cycles), and perforin (30 cycles) were as follows: denaturation at 92°C for 30 s, annealing at 57°C for 30 s, and primer extension at 72°C for 1 min, with the exception of Gzm B, which was for 2 min. Fas ligand (35 cycles) and IL-2 (32 cycles) were amplified by denaturation at 94°C for 1 min and 30 s, respectively; annealing at 57°C for 1 min and 30 s, respectively; and primer extension at 72°C for 1.5 and 1 min, respectively. The numbers of PCR cycles chosen for IL-2, Fas ligand, perforin, Gzm B, and GAPDH amplifications were previously determined to generate PCR product during the exponential phase of amplification. RT-PCR performed under these conditions has been shown to be semiquantitative, providing reliable detection of twofold or greater differences in mRNA levels [24]. PCR products were visualized by electrophoresis across an ethidium bromide-stained 1.5% Tris-acetate buffer-agarose gel, and the detected PCR amplicon was compared with a 100-bp ladder (Promega Corp., Madison, WI). Relative levels of PCR products were quantified by densitometric analysis of gel photographs and normalization relative to steady-state expression of GAPDH.
Flow-cytometric analysis
The percentages of CD11a-, CD25-, and CD54-positive cells in
48 h cultures of anti-CD3-activated T cells were determined by
flow-cytometric analysis using a standard protocol
[22].
Statistical analysis
Statistical comparisons of data were performed using the Instat
statistics program (GraphPad Software, Inc., San Diego, CA). Students
t-test or one-way analysis of variance were used when
appropriate. Values of P < 0.05 were considered to be
statistically significant.
|
|
|---|
activity in T cells activated in the
absence or presence of the PI3-K inhibitors. Akt1/protein kinase B
is a serine/threonine kinase which is activated in a PI3-K-dependent
manner [25
]. Anti-CD3-induced Akt1 kinase activity was
reduced by
40% in the presence of 100 nM wortmannin and by
60%
in the presence of 10 µM LY294002 (data not shown), indicating that
both wortmannin and LY294002 inhibit the activation of PI3-K in T cells
stimulated with anti-CD3 mAb. As shown in Figure 1 , anti-CD3-induced CD8+ T-cell proliferation was inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion by both wortmannin and LY294002 with approximate 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of 7.5 nM and 1.5 µM, respectively. These data indicated a role for PI3-K in signaling the entry of CD8+ T lymphocytes into the cell cycle. We have previously shown that mouse T cells activated with soluble anti-CD3 mAb develop potent MHC-unrestricted cytolytic activity against a range of tumor target cells, including P815 mastocytoma cells [26 ]. To determine the effect of PI3-K inhibition on MHC-unrestricted CTL development, we stimulated CD8+ T cells with anti-CD3 mAb in the absence or presence of various concentrations of wortmannin or LY294002. After 48 h of culture, viable T cells were collected and counted, and cytotoxicity on a per-cell basis was assessed in a 51Cr-release assay against radiolabeled P815 target cells.
![]() View larger version (15K): [in a new window] |
Figure 1. PI3-K inhibitors cause reduced CD8+ T-cell proliferation in
response to anti-CD3 mAb. Highly enriched CD8+ T cells were
stimulated with anti-CD3 mAb in the presence of medium alone, DMSO (the
drug vehicle for PI3-K inhibitors), or the indicated concentrations of
(A) wortmannin or (B) LY294002. After 48 h of culture,
proliferation was measured by [3H]TdR incorporation.
Results from a representative experiment (n =3) are
expressed as mean cpm ± SD of quadruplicate samples.
Statistical significance of results was determined by one-way analysis
of variance to be P < 0.0001.
|
|
View larger version (10K): [in a new window] |
Figure 2. Development of cytotoxic effector function by anti-CD3-activated
CD8+ T cells is impaired in the presence of PI3-K
inhibitors. Highly enriched CD8+ T cells were stimulated
with anti-CD3 mAb in the presence of DMSO (the drug vehicle for PI3-K
inhibitors) or the indicated concentrations of (A) wortmannin or (B)
LY294002. After 48 h of culture, cytolytic activity against P815
target cells at the indicated effector cell/target cell ratio (E:T) was
determined by 51Cr-release assay. Results from a
representative experiment (n =3) are expressed as mean
percent lysis of P815 target cells ± SD of triplicate
samples. Statistical significance of results was determined by one-way
analysis of variance to be P < 0.0001.
|
![]() View larger version (14K): [in a new window] |
Figure 3. PI3-K inhibitors cause reduced CD4+ T cell
proliferation in response to anti-CD3 mAb. Highly enriched
CD4+ T cells were stimulated with anti-CD3 mAb in the
presence of an appropriate concentration of DMSO (the drug vehicle for
PI3-K inhibitors), or the indicated concentrations of (A) wortmannin or
(B) LY294002. After 48 h of culture, proliferation was measured by
[3H]TdR incorporation. Results from one of two
independent experiments are expressed as mean cpm ±
SD of quadruplicate samples. Statistical significance of
results was determined by one-way analysis of variance to be
P < 0.0001.
|
![]() View larger version (50K): [in a new window] |
Figure 4. PI3-K inhibitors failed to substantially affect IL-2 mRNA expression by
anti-CD3-activated CD4+ T cells. Highly enriched
CD4+ T cells were stimulated with anti-CD3 mAb in the
absence (lane 1) or presence (lane 2) of 50 nM wortmannin or 5 µM
LY294002 (lane 3). After 24 h of culture, total RNA was isolated,
and IL-2 mRNA levels were determined by semiquantitative RT-PCR. GADPH
mRNA levels were also determined to control for equal loading of
amplicons which were resolved by gel electrophoresis and visualized by
ethidium bromide staining. Data are from one experiment and are
representative of two independent experiments.
|
![]() View larger version (28K): [in a new window] |
Figure 5. PI3-K inhibitors prevent expression of granzyme B, perforin, and Fas
ligand mRNAs by anti-CD3-activated CD8+ T cells. Highly
enriched CD8+ T cells were stimulated with anti-CD3 mAb in
the absence (lane 1) or presence (lane 2) of 25 nM wortmannin or 2.5
µM LY294002 (lane 3). After 4 h (Fas ligand) or 48 h
(granzyme B, perforin) of culture, total RNA was isolated and (A)
perforin and granzyme B or (B) Fas ligand mRNA levels were determined
by semiquantitative RT-PCR. GADPH mRNA levels were also determined to
control for equal loading of cDNA per reaction, which were resolved by
gel electrophoresis and visualized by ethidium bromide staining. Data
are from one experiment and are representative of three independent
experiments.
|
80% suppression) on IL-2 synthesis by anti-CD3-activated
CD8+ T cells, as measured by ELISA. These results were
confirmed by semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis of IL-2 mRNA expression
by anti-CD3-activated CD8+ T cells, which revealed a
similar decrease in IL-2 mRNA levels of CD8+ T cells
activated in the presence of 25 nM wortmannin or 5 µM LY294002 (data
not shown). PI3-K activation is, therefore, necessary for IL-2
production by CD8+ T lymphocytes after activation via the
T-cell receptor/CD3 complex. Moreover, activation in the presence of
PI3-K inhibitors resulted in a modest but consistent decrease in the
percentage of CD8+ T cells expressing the high-affinity
IL-2 receptor (CD25; see Fig. 6
), as measured by flow-cytometric analysis. We conclude that the
ability of CD8+ T lymphocytes to utilize IL-2 may be
compromised in the absence of PI3-K activation. |
View this table: [in a new window] |
Table 1. PI3-K Inhibitors Suppress IL-2 Synthesis by Anti-CD3-Activated
CD8+ T Cells
|
![]() View larger version (31K): [in a new window] |
Figure 6. CD11a, CD25, and CD54 expression by CD8+ T cells activated
in the presence of PI3-K inhibitors. Highly enriched CD8+ T
cells were stimulated with anti-CD3 mAb in the presence of the PI3-K
inhibitor wortmannin (25 nM) or LY294002 (2.5 µM) or of DMSO, the
drug vehicle. After 48 h of culture, the percentage of positive
cells and the level of receptor expression were determined by flow
cytometry as described in Materials and Methods. Cytofluorimetric
profiles for unstained isotype controls (filled peaks) and for
CD8+ T cells stained with specific mAb (open peaks) are
shown. Data are from one experiment and are representative of four
independent experiments.
|
50% reduction). In addition, flow-cytometric analysis revealed
that CD11a (the
L chain of LFA-1) was expressed at
substantially lower levels on CD8+ T cells activated by
anti-CD3 mAb in the presence of PI3-K inhibitors, whereas the
percentage of CD11a-bearing CD8+ T cells was also reduced
(Fig. 6)
. The percentage of anti-CD3-activated CD8+ T cells
expressing the activation marker and LFA-1 ligand intercellular
adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 (CD54) was also decreased in the absence of
PI3-K activation, as was the level of CD54 expression on individual T
cells. Taken together, these data indicate that PI3-K is a critical
intracellular mediator involved in adhesion molecule up-regulation
after CD8+ T-cell activation via the T-cell receptor/CD3
complex. |
View this table: [in a new window] |
Table 2. CD8+ T Cells Activated in the Presence of PI3-K Inhibitors
Exhibit Reduced Conjugation with Target Cells
|
|
View this table: [in a new window] |
Table 3. Exogenous IL-2 Fails to Restore Cytotoxic Effector Function to
CD8+ T Cells Activated in the Presence of PI3-K
Inhibitors
|
|
View this table: [in a new window] |
Table 4. Exogenous IL-2 Fails to Restore the Proliferative Response of
CD8+ T Cells Stimulated with Anti-CD3 mAb in the
Presence of PI3-K Inhibitors
|
|
View this table: [in a new window] |
Table 5. PI3-K Inhibitors Fail To Affect CD8+ T-Cell Proliferation
in Response to PMA and Ionomycin
|
![]() View larger version (21K): [in a new window] |
Figure 7. Differential effects of PI3-K inhibition on T-cell receptor, IL-2
receptor, and CD28 signaling. Highly enriched CD8+ T cells
were stimulated with (A) immobilized anti-CD3 mAb plus PMA (15 ng/mL)
or (B) anti-CD28 mAb (10 µg/mL) plus PMA (15 ng/mL) in the absence or
presence of wortmannin (25 nM) or LY294002 (2.5 µM). After 48 h
of culture, proliferation was measured by [3H]TdR
incorporation. (C) CTLL-2 CD8+ T cells were cultured in the
presence of IL-2 (100 U/mL) with or without wortmannin (25 nM) or
LY294002 (2.5 µM). After 24 h of culture, proliferation was
measured by [3H]TdR incorporation. Results from a
representative experiment (n =3) are expressed as mean
cpm ± SD of triplicate (A) or quadruplicate (B and C)
samples. Statistical significance in comparison with the control was
determined by Students t-test. (D) Mean percent inhibition
(±SD; n =3) by LY294002 (2.5 µM) of
T-cell proliferation in response to T-cell receptor (TCR), IL-2
receptor (IL-2R), or CD28 signaling.
|
|
|
|---|
The proliferative response of CD8+ mouse T lymphocytes
stimulated with anti-CD3 mAb in the presence of wortmannin or LY294002
was dramatically reduced in comparison with controls. This effect can
be attributed to a combination of diminished IL-2 production, a lower
percentage of T cells expressing the high-affinity IL-2 receptor, and
impaired IL-2 receptor signaling in the presence of PI3-K inhibitors.
Anti-CD3-induced proliferation of CD4+ T cells was also
inhibited in the presence of PI3-K inhibitors, although the inhibition
was considerably less potent than that observed with CD8+ T
cells. Surprisingly, in contrast to the marked inhibition of IL-2
synthesis observed when CD8+ T cells were activated in the
presence of PI3-K inhibitors, neither wortmannin nor LY294002 was able
to inhibit IL-2 expression by CD4+ T cells. This finding is
consistent with an earlier report that wortmannin fails to prevent
anti-CD3 mAb-induced IL-2 synthesis by CD4+ T cells from
DO11.10 T-cell receptor-
ß-transgenic mice, even though IL-2
production in response to antigen was markedly diminished by the PI3-K
inhibitor [39
]. Shi et al. [39
] suggest
that the differential sensitivity of anti-CD3- and antigen-activated
CD4+ T lymphocytes to wortmannin might be due to either an
effect of PI3-K inhibition on the ability of antigen but not anti-CD3
mAb to engage and trigger the T-cell receptor or to major qualitative
differences in the signals elicited by the interaction of anti-CD3 mAb
and antigen with the T-cell receptor. The first possibility seems
unlikely in light of the finding that anti-CD3-induced CD4+
T-cell proliferation is effectively suppressed by PI3-K inhibitors.
Moreover, with regard to the second possibility, our results indicate
that differences in the signals delivered by mAb-mediated perturbation
of the T-cell receptor and those elicited by antigen are apparent only
if IL-2 gene induction is used as a readout. In addition, our findings
imply the existence of qualitative differences between T-cell
receptor-associated signaling pathways involved in the up-regulation of
IL-2 gene expression by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.
In other words, anti-CD3 mAb may activate additional signaling pathways
in CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells that circumvent
the need for PI3-K activation as a prerequisite for IL-2 gene
transcription. Our data are also consistent with the recent finding
that PI3-K activity is required for IL-2 gene expression by normal
murine lymph node T cells stimulated with immobilized anti-CD3 mAb
[38
], since lymph node cells are a mixture of
CD4+ and CD8+ T cells which, although
exhibiting differential sensitivity to PI3-K inhibition, are both
capable of synthesizing IL-2 [28
].
IL-2 gene expression requires coordinate signaling through both the
T-cell receptor and costimulatory molecules such as CD28
[1
]. The T-cell receptorCD3 complex-associated signal
transduction pathway of CD8+ T cells is particularly
sensitive to PI3-K inhibition since CD8+ T-cell
proliferation induced by immobilized anti-CD3 mAb in combination with
PMA was virtually abrogated in the presence of wortmannin or LY294002.
A similar inhibitory effect on IL-2 production in CD8+
T-cell cultures stimulated with PMA and immobilized anti-CD3 mAb was
also observed [T. Phu and D. Hoskin, unpublished results]. PI3-K is
known to function downstream of protein tyrosine kinases activated as a
result of T-cell receptor ligation [35
,
38
]. T-cell receptor-associated tyrosine kinase activity
is coupled to the phosphorylation and activation of phospholipase
C
1, which generates inositol phosphates and diacylglycerols by the
hydrolysis of inositol phospholipids. These second messengers bring
about the activation of protein kinase C family members and the
mobilization of Ca++ from intracellular stores, which in
turn activates the phosphatase calcineurin responsible for nuclear
translocation of the transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T
cells (NF-AT) [1
, 2
]. Neither wortmannin
nor LY294002 affected CD8+ T-cell proliferation induced by
PMA, a protein kinase C activator, in combination with ionomycin, a
Ca++ ionophore, leading us to conclude that PI3-K acts
upstream of protein kinase C and calcineurin activation in CTL
precursors. Our data are, therefore, in line with the finding that
wortmannin prevents the activation of NF-AT and activator protein
(AP)-1 transcription factors in lymph node T cells by interfering with
T-cell receptor signaling at the level of the Ras/extracellular
signal-related kinase pathway [38
].
Although PI3-K is known to be associated with and enzymatically activated after CD28 ligation [9 ], the role of PI3-K in CD28-mediated costimulation of CTL precursors remains controversial [40 ]. Studies with CD8+ T cells from mice that are transgenic for a T-cell receptor specific for the simian virus 40 large-T antigen presented in the context of H2-K have revealed that B7-CD28 costimulation is required for antigen-driven IL-2 production by CD8+ T lymphocytes [41 ]. However, B7-1-dependent proliferation of CD8+ T cells from normal mice has been reported to be unaffected by wortmannin, suggesting that PI3-K activation is not required in the CD28-mediated signaling involved in costimulating precursor CTLs to proliferate [42 ]. In contrast, we have demonstrated that both wortmannin and LY294002 cause an intermediate inhibition of CD8+ T-cell proliferation in response to PMA in combination with anti-CD28 mAb, implying a major role for PI3-K in the CD28-dependent costimulation of precursor CTL proliferation. Recent data from our laboratory indicating that B7-2, rather than B7-1, is the primary ligand for CD28 during mouse CTL induction by anti-CD3 mAb suggest a potential explanation for these apparently conflicting findings [43 ]. It is possible that ligation of CD28 by B7-1 activates additional signaling pathways which render PI3-K redundant, whereas CD28 engagement by B7-2, as occurs in our experimental system, results in only PI3-K-dependent signal transduction.
Anti-CD3 activation in the presence of wortmannin or LY294002 resulted
in a modest decrease in the percentage of CD8+ T cells
expressing CD25, the
chain of the high-affinity IL-2 receptor. This
is most likely a consequence of deficient T-cell receptor signaling due
to the inhibition of receptor-associated PI3-K, since a similar
decrease in the percentage of CD25+ T cells was noted when
mouse T lymphocytes were activated in the presence of 1 µM
cyclosporin A [29
]. Cyclosporin A is known to prevent
T-cell activation by inhibiting the action of calcineurin associated
with the T-cell receptor signal transduction pathway
[44
], without affecting signaling through the CD28
pathway [45
]. Fewer CD8+ T cells expressing
the high-affinity IL-2 receptor would lead to fewer CD8+ T
lymphocytes responding to the reduced amount of IL-2 synthesized by T
cells activated in the presence of PI3-K inhibitors. Moreover, the
IL-2-dependent proliferation of CD8+ mouse CTLL-2 cells was
suppressed in the presence of wortmannin or LY294002, implying that
PI3-K is involved in IL-2-regulated signal transduction pathways. Our
data are, therefore, in good agreement with the recent finding that
PI3-K couples the IL-2 receptor with p70 S6 kinase and the
serine/threonine protein kinase B [10
]. PI3-K linked
with the IL-2 receptor has also been shown to promote activation of the
cell cycle regulator E2F involved in activating the cell cycle
machinery [46
]. However, it must be emphasized that IL-2
receptor signal transduction was far less sensitive to PI3-K inhibition
than was T-cell receptor or CD28 signaling in mouse CD8+ T
lymphocytes, suggesting the existence of PI3-K-independent signaling
processes linked with the IL-2 receptor of this T-lymphocyte subset.
The inhibitory effect of wortmannin and LY294002 on anti-CD3-induced CD8+ T-lymphocyte proliferation was paralleled by a potent suppressive effect on the development of MHC-unrestricted cytotoxic activity. In fact, nonspecific CTLs induced with anti-CD3 mAb in the presence of either PI3-K inhibitor exhibited a dramatic reduction in mRNA species coding for the cytolytic effector molecules granzyme B, perforin, and Fas ligand. Fas ligand expression is largely dependent on T-cell receptor signaling [47 ] and does not require CD28 costimulation, since blockade of CD28-B7 interactions does not alter Fas ligand mRNA expression [43 ]. The nearly absolute requirement for PI3-K in T-cell receptor signaling, therefore, accounts for the virtual absence of Fas ligand mRNA expression by CD8+ T cells activated in the presence of either PI3-K inhibitor. Since CTL expression of both granzyme B and perforin is inducible by IL-2 [48 ], sharply reduced IL-2 synthesis in cultures of CD8+ T cells activated in the presence of wortmannin or LY294002 likely explains the profound reductions observed in perforin and granzyme B gene expression. It is not surprising that the addition of exogenous IL-2 to anti-CD3-activated CD8+ T-cell cultures failed to overcome the inhibitory effect of wortmannin or LY294002 on CD8+ T-cell proliferation and CTL development, given that PI3-K inhibition affects both high-affinity IL-2 receptor expression and signaling through the IL-2 receptor. Moreover, this observation implies that even in the presence of anti-CD3-activated CD4+ T cells that are able to produce IL-2 without a requirement for PI3-K activation, the anti-CD3-induced differentiation of CD8+ T cells into cytotoxic effector cells will be impaired by PI3-K inhibitors.
Reduced cytolytic effector molecule expression in the presence of PI3-K inhibitors is no doubt a major reason for the reduced effector function of MHC-unrestricted CTLs generated under these conditions. However, decreased expression of key T-cell adhesion molecules is also likely to be an important contributing factor. Conjugation of anti-CD3-activated CTLs to P815 mastocytoma cells is mediated by LFA-1/ICAM-1 interactions between the effector cell and target cell [30 ]. Although the role of PI3-K in ß2 integrin function has not been well studied, the T-lymphocyte integrin regulators CD2 and CD28 have been shown to use PI3-K in the signaling process, which results in the up-regulation of ß1 integrin adhesiveness after CD2 or CD28 ligation [37 , 49 ]. We have shown here that nonspecific CTLs induced in the presence of PI3-K inhibitors conjugated with reduced efficiency to P815 target cells. Moreover, decreased effector-target cell conjugation was associated with a substantial reduction in surface LFA-1 expression by anti-CD3-activated CD8+ T cells, suggesting the PI3-K is involved in up-regulating ß2 integrin expression after CD8+ T-cell activation. PI3-K inhibition also reduced the percentage of T cells expressing ICAM-1, which is indicative of impaired T-cell activation [50 ]. Lower numbers of ICAM-1-bearing CD8+ T cells after wortmannin or LY294002 treatment may also be a factor in reduced conjugate formation, since P815 mastocytoma cells are known to express LFA-1 [51 ].
In summary, we report that PI3-K inhibition with wortmannin or LY294002 during CD8+ T-lymphocyte activation with anti-CD3 mAb strongly inhibited the development of MHC-unrestricted cytolytic effector cells and impaired subsequent effector cell binding to tumor target cells. Fuller and colleagues have recently reported that PI3-K inhibition with wortmannin abrogates perforin/granzyme granule exocytosis by influenza virus-specific CTL clones, thereby inhibiting the effector phase of cytolysis [52 ]. It is interesting that the Fas/Fas ligand pathway of cytolysis was unaffected by even very high concentrations of wortmannin, suggesting that granule-independent killing does not depend on PI3-K activation. We have also noted that PI3-K inhibition during the effector phase of cytolysis failed to affect Fas ligand-dependent killing of P815 tumor cells (rendered Fas+ by pretreatment with etoposide and performed in the presence of Ca2+ chelator as previously described in ref. 53 ) by MHC-unrestricted CTLs induced with anti-CD3 mAb [M. Haeryfar and D. Hoskin, unpublished results]. However, in contrast to the antigen-specific CTL described by Fuller et al., PI3-K inhibition had only a modest inhibitory effect on granule-mediated cytolysis of Fas- P815 tumor cells by MHC-unrestricted CTL induced with anti-CD3 mAb. Nevertheless, PI3-K is clearly an essential component of signal transduction pathways involved in CTL development, as well as some aspects of effector function.
Received May 8, 2000; revised November 5, 2000; accepted December 27, 2000.
|
|
|---|
chain is dependent on T cell activation J. Biol. Chem. 269,15140-15146
are two necessary lymphokines in the development of cytolytic T cells J. Immunol. 143,1210-1214[Abstract]
(CD11a): differential effects on resting and activated T cells Eur. J. Immunol. 22,1851-1856[Medline]This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
S. Hoves, J. A. Trapani, and I. Voskoboinik The battlefield of perforin/granzyme cell death pathways J. Leukoc. Biol., February 1, 2010; 87(2): 237 - 243. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||