(Journal of Leukocyte Biology. 2003;73:556-563.)
© 2003
by Society for Leukocyte Biology
Leukocyte uropod formation and membrane/cytoskeleton linkage in immune interactions
Stefano Fais* and
Walter Malorni
Laboratories of
* Immunology and
Ultrastructures, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
Correspondence: Dr. Stefano Fais, M.D., Ph.D., Laboratory of Immunology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. E-mail: Fais{at}iss.it

ABSTRACT
The acquisition of a cell polarity is a crucial requirement
for migration, activation, and apoptosis of leukocytes. The
polarization of leukocytes involves the formation of two distinct
poles: the leading edgethe attachment cell site to the
substrate allowing directional movements of the celland
on the opposite side, the uropodmostly involved in cell-to-cell
interaction and in a variety of leukocyte activities including
activation and apoptosis. However, the uropod takes shape in
neutrophils, monocytes, and natural killer cells, and the formation
of this cell protrusion seems to exert an important role in
immune interactions. In fact, the polarization sites of leukocytes
are involved in a complex cross-talk between cells and extracellular
matrix components, and a number of receptors and counter-receptors
crowd in the contact sites to allow efficient cell-to-cell or
cellsubstrate interaction. The membrane/cytoskeleton
interaction plays a crucial role in tuning these activities
and in "predisposing" leukocytes to their function through the
acquisition of a polarized phenotype. This review is focused
on the mechanisms underlying the formation of the leukocyte
uropod, the role of cytoskeleton in defining its structure and
function, and the involvement of the uropod in the complex interplay
between immune cells.
Key Words: polarization immunologic synapse activation apoptosis

INTRODUCTION
The functional state of leukocytes depends on the occurrence
of complex interactions among membrane proteins, cytoskeleton,
and signaling networks. Membrane/cytoskeleton association acts
as a supervisor for the maintenance of a dynamic cell shape
and the continuous re-modeling of immune cell "signaling architecture."
The ultimate reflection of this dynamic interaction is cellular
polarization with the formation of distinct morphological and
functional poles with a unidirectional orientation of leukocyte
movement (reviewed in refs. [
1
2
3
4
]).

LEUKOCYTE POLARIZATION
Although differing in function and architecture, most cell types
polarize during the acquisition of a final phenotype (e.g.,
epithelial cells, neurons; reviewed in refs. [
5
6
7
8
]) or
in a transient manner during the development of a specific function
(e.g., leukocytes; reviewed in ref. [
9
]). In fact, leukocytes
develop their polarized morphology when they undergo migration,
activation, and cell-to-cell interaction. Between leukocytes,
T lymphocyte polarization is the best known and characterized.
It was described as an anterior-posterior polarity with the
formation of two functionally and morphologically distinct poles:
the leading edge, rich in chemokine receptors (CCRs) and substrate-adhesion
molecules, and the uropod, described as the trailing edge of
the cell and rich in various intercellular adhesion molecules
(ICAMs) [
10
] (reviewed in refs. [
9
,
11
]). Studies obtained
with human T cells adhering to polylysine-coated chamber slides,
thus moving on a substrate mimicking the extracellular maxtrix
(ECM) without passively floating in a medium, as in the typical
culture conditions, suggested that general features of uropods
include the following: a rapid outgrowth and withdrawal with
the recovery of normal cell shape; the capacity to reach a spectacular
size (up to six times the cell body); the presence of transient
ruffles in the apical portion of the uropod; and the capacity
to exert continuous movements leading to a meticulous "scanning"
of the surrounding environment with reciprocal "touching and
tasting" of the encountering cells [
12
13
14
]. These features
can be well visible by time-lapse videomicroscopy (TLVM) analyses,
where the above-depicted features can be easily appreciated.
Different time frames obtained by TLVM (one frame every 10 s)
of T lymphoblastoid cells clearly show that uropod formation
occurs as a fast and reversible phenomenon visible in the great
majority of the cells (
Fig. 1
). Moreover, the typical uropod
is clearly distinguishable from the other well-known protruding
cell-surface structures of leukocytes (
Fig. 2
). In fact, the
uropod is an enormous cell protrusion as compared with dendrites
and lamellipodia. Further morphological observation of T cell
uropods provided straightforward images of T cells with uropods
attached to the ECM substrate (
Fig. 3A
and 3B
) or "scanning"
the environment as a sensory end
(Fig. 3C)
or in a reciprocal
touching between encountering T cells
(Fig. 3D)
, suggesting
the involvement of this lymphocyte protrusion in complex interactions
with the microenvironment. In fact, leukocytes, including lymphocytes
(Fig. 3E)
, monocytes
(Fig. 3F)
, NK cells
(Fig. 3G)
, DC
(Fig. 3H) , and granulocytes, have been shown to polarize in response
to a variety of stimuli [
15
,
16
] (reviewed in refs. [
9
,
17
]).
As shown in the figures, the polarized structures may differ
from cell to cell, as uropods are typical of lymphocytes and
monocytes and dendrites of DC. A great deal of evidence also
suggested that the state of polarization of a cell is determined
by specific interaction between the plasma membrane and the
actin cytoskeleton, through actin/membrane-binding proteins
(reviewed in ref. [
18
]). Ezrin, radixin, and, moesin (ERM)
are three closely related proteins (4.1 band/ERM) playing a
major role in the linkage between the actin cytoskeleton and
cell-surface molecules in a variety of cells [
19
,
20
] (reviewed
in refs. [
3
,
4
,
21
,
22
]). This linkage allows ERM proteins
to actively participate in the polarization of the cells and
in particular, of motile cells such as leukocytes, although
other proteins (e.g., vinculin,

-actinin, pallidin, and talin)
may participate in the establishment of leukocyte polarization
[
23
24
25
] (reviewed in ref. [
21
]).
Many monocyte functions directly depend on the ability of the
monocyte to polarize following cytoskeleton activation. In fact,
cytoskeleton activation and monocyte polarization are involved
in adhesion, spreading, fusion, transendothelial migration,
and antigen-presenting cell (APC) function [
26
27
28
29
30
]
(reviewed in refs. [
3
,
17
]). Actin and ERM have a major role
in monocyte polarization, which mostly involves the recruitment
of intercellular adhesion molecules on the monocyte uropod,
as efficient as monocyte-to-lymphocyte, monocyte-to-monocyte,
or monocyte-to-EC adhesion (reviewed in refs. [
3
,
17
]). However,
recent findings suggest the involvement of cell polarization
and cytoskeleton in functions not directly related to immune
interactions, such as the unidirectional secretion of cationic
molecules in the tissue microenvironment. In fact, evidence
has been provided that ezrin molecule colocalizes with the multidrug-resistance
protein-1 (p170), related to the function of a cationic pump,
in uropods of monocytes and lymphoid cells [
27
,
31
]. This
is further supported by the fact that cytoskeleton remodeling
is an important requirement for the polarized secretion of T
cells toward the cells with which they are interacting [
32
]
and that the majority of calcium release is first located in
the uropod of T cells [
32
,
33
]. Further studies suggest that
the p170 cationic pump is involved in the regulation of apoptotic
mechanisms [
34
,
35
], and the colocalization of p170 with the
ERM in the uropod [
31
] supports a key role of membrane/cytoskeleton
interactions in the regulation of the apoptotic mechanisms.
Neutrophils circulate in the blood as spherical resting cells. In response to inflammatory stimuli, they leave the blood vessels by diapedesis and locomote across the ECM to the inflamed area. In fact, in response to various chemoattractants, P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1), ICAM-3, CD43, and CD44 are redistributed to a newly formed uropod in human neutrophils, and PSGL-1 and ICAM-3 colocalize with ERM in the uropod of stimulated neutrophils [36
]. By analogy with NK cells and lymphocytes [37
], it appears highly conceivable that the polarization of activated neutrophils may be implicated in their killer activity.

THE ROLE OF POLARIZATION IN THE IMMUNE RESPONSE
Initiation of an immune response requires an interaction between
APCs, such as DC and T cells. After this interaction, i.e.,
after the binding of a T cell to an APC, cell-surface molecules
redistribute into distinct patterns, forming an organized interface
termed the immunological synapse (IS). Similar, reorganized
interfaces have recently been observed with CD8 T cells, DC,
and NK cells, suggesting that the formation of a cell-to-cell,
synaptic complex is a key phenomenon in immune-cell interaction
(reviewed in ref. [
32
]). Cell polarization in the IS appears
to be associated with cytoskeleton rearrangement and is characterized
by redistribution of adhesion molecules, the T cell receptor
(TCR) plus the peptidehuman leukocyte antigen pair and
the CD28-B7 pair (reviewed in refs. [
38
39
40
]). Scanning electron
microscopy analysis of this interaction has also shown that
the formation of the IS between DC and lymphocytes involves
other dramatic events, such as docking T cells through their
uropods onto large and veiled protrusions of DC, which rearrange
their membranes following the early contact and "embrace" the
T cells [
41
]. These images show that T cells contact the APCs
as hand mirror-shaped cells [
42
], through their uropod, maintaining
this morphology all along the intimate contact [
41
]. However,
the specific role of the lymphocyte poles (uropod and leading
edge) in the early steps of IS formation still appears controversial
[
33
]. In fact, data obtained with antibody-coated beads showed
that initial contact between a T cell and an APC may occur through
the leading edge [
33
,
43
], and the morphological observations
seem to indicate the involvement of the lymphocyte uropod in
the early steps of IS formation [
41
]. Thus, although the importance
of lymphocyte polarization in IS formation seems unquestionable,
the specific roles of uropod and leading edge in lymphocyte/DC
interaction deserve further investigation. Conversely, it has
recently been suggested that DC actively polarize their actin
cytoskeleton during interaction with T cells and that DC cytoskeletal
rearrangement is critical for the clustering and the activation
of resting T cells [
44
]. Accordingly, various membrane proteins
involved in lymphocyte adhesion and migration polarize and colocalize
with the actin-based cytoskeleton in the uropod region of T
cells (
Table 1
). For some of these proteins, a specific linkage
to actin through the ERM proteins has been shown (reviewed in
refs. [
4
,
18
,
22
]); for some others, including the TCR, data
are often incomplete or inconsistent. In fact, although an association
between the actin cytoskeleton and some of the TCR

chain molecules
has been suggested, a specific role of ERM in this linkage has
not been clearly demonstrated (reviewed in refs. [
4
,
21
,
48
]).
However, beads coated with antibodies specific for the TCRCD3
complex induce T cell polarization toward the bead-attachment
site, reorientation of the microtubule-organizing center (MTOC),
and actin polymerization [
49
]. This implies a complex cross-talk
between actin filaments, TCR, and microtubule-associated proteins
(reviewed in refs. [
21
,
48
]). Moreover, the dendrites of mature
DC contain CD44 [
16
], stably linked to actin through ERM proteins
(reviewed in refs. [
3
,
4
,
18
,
22
]). It seems highly reasonable
that ERM proteins may be involved initially in promoting T cell
polarization, allowing the T cell membrane to come into close
contact with the APC. However, once signaling has begun, removal
of ERM proteins might allow membranes to flatten out, as supported
by electron microscopy studies [
50
,
51
] (reviewed in ref.
[
4
]). This is further supported by the fact that following
the formation of IS, the TCR on the T cell and the major histocompatibility
complex molecules on the APC undergo a central distribution
in the IS, and the lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1ICAM-1
pair occupies the periphery of this scaffold [
33
]. The possible
participation of IS in triggering apoptosis is currently under
investigation in different cell model systems [
52
] (reviewed
in ref. [
53
]), supporting a key role of cellular polarization
and of uropod in many events regulating cell-to-cell interaction
and determining the fate of the immune cells.

POLARIZATION, CYTOSKELETON, AND APOPTOSIS
When T cells acquire a polarized phenotype, the CCRs (e.g.,
CCR2 and CCR5) at the leading edge direct the migration, and
various adhesion molecules (e.g., ICAMs and CD44), integrins,
the TCR, coreceptors, and larger transmembrane molecules (e.g.,
CD43, CD45; reviewed in refs. [
9
10
11
,
33
]) in the uropod
support its role in the establishment of cellcell interactions
and lymphocyte recruitment. However, recent data have also shown
that polarization and the cytoskeleton are involved in conferring
susceptibility to apoptotic stimuli in lymphocytes [
14
,
54
]
(reviewed in ref. [
55
]). Polarization of Fas on lymphocytes
seems to be associated with marked susceptibility to Fas-mediated
apoptosis [
14
]. On uropod, Fas colocalizes with ezrin in CD4+
T lymphoid cells and activated lymphocytes (but not in resting
lymphocytes). Moreover, Fas coimmunoprecipitates with ezrin,
and treatments with ezrin antisense oligonucleotides (AO) significantly
inhibited susceptibility to Fas-mediated apoptosis and Fas polarization
in T cells. It is interesting that the same effects were not
obtained with the moesin AO, suggesting a specific role of ezrin
in the Fas linkage to actin in T cells. This was consistent
with the inhibition of uropod formation, Fas polarization, and
proneness to Fas-mediated apoptosis following treatments with
microfilament-targeted drugs such as cytochalasins. Further
studies also hypothesize a mechanism in which the Rho guanosine
triphosphate (GTP)ases affect apoptosis by modulating the actin
cytoskeleton [
54
] (reviewed in ref. [
55
]). Proteins belonging
to the Rho family (Rho, Rac1, and cdc42) are in fact known to
act as supervisors of actin-dependent phenomena, such as stress
fibers formation (Rho), ruffling activity (Rac1), and filopodia
extension (cdc42). The activity of the Rho family proteins may
be nicely modulated by some bacterial toxins able to induce
(e.g., by
Escherichia coli CNF1 toxin) or inhibit (e.g., by
Clostridium difficile B toxin) cell polarization phenomena and
susceptibility to apoptosis [
54
,
56
] (reviewed in ref. [
55
]).
In fact, Rho family proteins appear to exert a key role in the
process of activation and inhibition of ERM [
57
], in turn suggesting
an important role of small GTPases in regulating the polarization
process.
Sphingolipid and cholesterol-based structures, membrane rafts, have received much attention in the last few years. Evidence is accumulating that lymphocyte polar segregation parallels the specific redistribution of membrane proteins associated with each raft subfraction, suggesting that raft partitioning is a major determinant for protein redistribution in polarized T cells [10
, 45
] (reviewed in ref. [46
]). Moreover, the acquisition of a motile phenotype in T cells results in the asymmetric redistribution of ganglioside GM3- and GM1-enriched raft domains to the leading edge and to the uropod, respectively [10
]. Notably, recent data have shown a translocation of Fas into membrane rafts following Fas-triggering [58
] and an essential role of membrane rafts in the initiation of Fas-mediated cell death signaling [59
]. Moreover, GD3 associates with ezrin in the uropods after Fas-triggered apoptosis [60
], and the F-actin filaments have been shown to play a key role in the initiation of Fas signaling [61
]. Thus, ezrin seems to have a major role in connecting actin to Fas and downstream molecules of the Fas multiple cascades. This, in turn, suggests that uropods contain a multimolecular, death-inducing signaling complex whose assembly might be dependent on actin multiple connections, and activated ezrin may have a key role in allowing the actin connections to the various molecules contained in the complex (Fig. 4
).

POLARIZATION AND NK CELL ACTIVITY
Cell polarization and cytoskeleton have an important role in
NK and cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) function. Particularly, NK
cells require cytoskeleton integrity and function to migrate,
bind, and kill their targets [
62
,
63
]. Polarization occurs
in NK cells and TC (
Fig. 5
) and is considered of crucial importance
during NK cell migration, the development of the so-called "NKTC
conjugate," and TC killing [
64
,
65
]. A role for microfilament
system elements has been suggested in conjugate formation and
junction avidity (binding process), and microtubular apparatus
seems to play a key role in cytotoxicity (killing process) [
66
].
In fact, perturbance of the microtubular apparatus hindered
TC killing, without affecting NK cell polarization and NK/TC
binding [
67
,
68
]. Interleukin (IL)-15 and Rantes induce a
redistribution of actin filament and adhesion molecules, amplifying
conjugate formation and suggesting that ILs and chemokines may
exert a key role in NK cell polarization [
15
]. Conversely,
cytoskeleton also appears to be involved in the suicide behavior
exerted by TC after binding with NK cells. In fact, a remodeling
of the actin cytoskeleton and TC polarization was detected during
induction of apoptosis, and disruption of F-actin cytoskeleton
by cytochalasins results in the disappearance of uropods and
ICAM-2 polarization and consequently, in the TC survival [
63
,
69
]. Accordingly, in some human pathologies (e.g., AIDS), lack
of TC polarization and cytoskeleton rearrangement is associated
with a decreased proneness to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity
[
68
]. Notably, ezrin cDNA transfection in TC leads to uropod
formation, ICAM redistribution, and TC sensitization toward
NK cell-killing activity, suggesting by analogy with lymphocytes,
a key role of ERM proteins in triggering TC death [
69
]. Additionally,
a relevant mechanism of FasL trafficking, occurring in NK cells
and CTL, has recently been reported as involving specific intracellular
transport of FasL on lysosomal-like vesicles that are unidirectionally
polarized on the membrane of NK and T cells [
37
], suggesting
a cytoskeleton-mediated, vectorial transport of these vesicles
toward the contact sites between the killer and TC. Moreover,
recent findings have shown that an active and polarized secretion
of FasL-bearing exosomes, able to kill Fas-positive lymphocytes,
may occur in melanoma cells and lymphoid cells [
70
], and the
lytic granule of NK cells and melanosomes belongs to the same
family of lysosomal-like vesicles (reviewed in ref. [
71
]).
This, in turn, suggests that the unidirectional secretion of
FasL-bearing microvesicles may represent a major mechanism used
by various cell types to kill their targets. Notably, it has
recently been shown that ezrin and radixin have a key role in
the polarization of perforin granules in the NK/TC contact sites
[
72
] and that the actin-regulatory protein Wiskott-Aldrich
syndrome protein (WASp; see below) is expressed in human NK
cells and localizes to the activating immunologic synapse with
F-actin [
73
]. These data further support the hypothesis that
connection with the actin cytoskeleton is a crucial requirement
for lytic granule directional trafficking in NK cells and for
the activation of NK cell function.

CYTOSKELETON AND POLARIZATION ABNORMALITIES IN IMMUNE-RELATED DISORDERS
Two examples of human immune deficiencies associated with defects
or activation of cytoskeletal function illustrate its importance
in cellcell interactions: WAS and human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV)-1 infection. WAS is a rare, X-linked, primary immunodeficiency
arising from mutation(s) in the WASp gene, which in normal cells,
is involved in the control of cytoskeleton organization (reviewed
in ref. [
74
]). In WAS lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes,
and DC show a marked derangement in cytoskeletal organization,
together with important impairment of leukocyte in response
to various stimuli (reviewed in ref. [
74
]), suggesting that
cytoskeleton abnormalities underlie this immunodeficiency. This
abnormality is also associated with an increased proneness to
apoptotic stimuli [
75
] and a decreased phagocytosis of apoptotic
cells [
76
]. It is interesting that in this disease, a defect
in the formation of uropod-bearing lymphocytes [
42
] and in
monocyte polarization [
77
] has been shown, supporting the importance
of the cytoskeleton-driven cell polarization for the occurrence
of a proper immune response in vivo. An "opposite" example of
a human disorder involving an altered immune-cell cytoskeleton
is HIV-1 infection. HIV-1 replication is a dynamic process influenced
by a combination of viral and host factors, whose interactions
may influence the natural history of HIV-1 infection in AIDS
patients. Among the host factors, the state of activation/differentiation
of the immune system at the moment of primary infection is a
crucial factor in determining the extent of HIV-1 infection
and CD4+ T cell depletion [
77
] (reviewed in ref. [
17
]). Moreover,
the chronic state of activation of lymphocytes (reviewed in
ref. [
78
]) and the cell polarization induced by HIV-1 virions
during cell-to-cell infection [
79
] may predispose lymphocytes
to a Fas-mediated apoptosis [
14
]. In fact, lipid rafts have
been shown to exert an important role in the preferential budding
of HIV-1 in the uropods [
80
] and the lateral assemblies required
for HIV-1 infection [
81
]. Moreover, indirect consequences of
the aberrant polarization of virion-producing cells, primarily
involved in cell-to-cell infection during the cytoskeletal-driven,
unidirectional budding are the ICAMs and HIV-1 colocalization
in lymphocyte uropods [
79
] and lymphocyte fusion in the region
of uropod formation with the generation of syncytia, leading
to the well-known cytopathic and proapoptotic effect of HIV-1
(reviewed in ref. [
17
]). As far as monocytes are concerned,
a state of monocyte polarization may favor HIV-1 cell-to-cell
infection [
82
] and multinucleated giant cell formation with
persistent HIV-1 infection [
83
]. These data support the hypothesis
that the state of polarization of lymphocytes and monocytes
may have an important role in HIV-1 pathogenesis.

CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES
T cell movement implies not only rolling, tethering, and transmigration
but also the unremitting search for other cells. The latter
task is performed by the uropod, a specialized surface subdomain
where a complex interplay between receptors and counter-receptors
occurs. We propose the following sequence of events that emphasizes
the role of leukocyte uropod in immune interactions (
Fig. 6
):
Following various stimuli (cytokines, chemokines, viral proteins),
various membrane receptors redistribute to the T cell uropod,
determined by the cytoskeleton/membrane linkage through phosphorylated
ERM proteins; the uropod-bearing cell interacts with other cells
including EC, monocytes, DC, and killer cells (CTL, NK), which
in turn, may become polarized; and the uropod-bearing cell undergoes
migration, activation, or apoptosis depending on the cell type
(counter-receptors) it encounters during transendothelial or
tissue migration. A more fanciful way to imagine this phenomenon
is that uropods may represent a set of enormous and puckered
cell "lips," through which lymphocytes are highly predisposed
to receive or give a "kiss of life" or a "kiss of death" by
soluble factors or following intimate contact with other circulating
or tissue cells.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was supported in part by grants from the Italian Ministry
of Health (40/D.5 and 30/D.9, National Research Program on AIDS),
the Coordinated Grant Identification of the New Human Tumor
Antigens and Strategies to Enhance their Immunogenicity and
Override Tumor Escape, Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca
sul Cancro (Milan), and CNR Project 99.01366.ST. We are grateful
to Dr. Luis Montaner for helpful suggestions in preparing this
review. We thank Dr. Mario Falchi for his invaluable technical
assistance.
Received November 19, 2002;
revised January 24, 2003;
accepted January 28, 2003.

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