Published online before print October 28, 2004
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,1
* Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and
Tumor Biology Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona
1 Correspondence: Pinku Mukherjee, Cellular Immunology, and Sandra J. Gendler, Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tumor Biology Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 13400 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85259. E-mail: mukherjee.pinku{at}mayo.edu and gendler.sandra{at}mayo.edu
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Key Words: mucin 1 p56lck siRNA ERK1/2 calcium flux T cell activation
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Historically, MUC1 expression was thought to be restricted to epithelial cells; however, nonepithelial expression of MUC1 has recently been described in myelomas, T and B cell lymphomas, normal proerythrocytes, and erythroblasts in bone marrow [12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
]. MUC1 is also expressed on normal hematopoietic cell types including T cells, dendritic cells, and bone marrow mononuclear cells. The CT is phosphorylated in some of the hematopoietic cells, indicative of a role in signal transduction [12
, 18
, 20
, 21
]. When phosphorylated, these motifs provide potential sites for binding to Src homology 2 (SH2) domains of other kinases. MUC1 has previously been shown to interact with c-Src [22
] and Grb2/SOS, which are signal transducers of a number of receptor kinase pathways [9
, 10
]. The CT contains an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation-like motif (ITAM; YXXLX8YXXM) and kinase recognition sequences, which when phosphorylated, provide potential sites for binding to SH2 domains. It has recently been shown that lck phosphorylates MUC1 CT at Y46, and
-associated protein 70 (ZAP-70) phosphorylates MUC1 CT at the Y20 motif, which is located in the ITAM (unpublished data from our laboratory and ref. [23
]). An indirect association of MUC1 with CD45, Yes, Fyn, and p56lck in membrane lipid rafts in a human T leukemia cell line, HUT78, has also been reported [24
].
Signals from T cell receptor (TCR) trigger rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of src-related protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs), p56lck, and Fyn, followed by phosphorylation of ITAM. This creates docking sites for syk family tyrosine kinase ZAP-70, which phosphorylates linker for activation of T cells (LAT), and recruits other signaling molecules including phospholipase (PLC)
1, Tec family kinases, SH2 domain-containing leukocyte protein of 76 kD, Grb2, and Gads to form a complex. The complex is aggregated in the specialized subdomains of the plasma membrane (lipid rafts) and amplifies the signal received from the TCR [25
26
27
]. As MUC1 is implicated in signal transduction events in epithelial cells and as it contains tyrosine phosphorylation sites that could allow binding to SH2 domains, including the c-Src SH2 domain at the YEKV motif on MUC1 CT domain [22
], we first determined if MUC1 is phosphorylated upon TCR ligation, followed by studying interactions of MUC1 CT with T cell-specific PTK p56lck. To further elucidate its role in signal transduction post-TCR ligation, we analyzed the downstream signaling events leading to proliferation in MUC1-deficient Jurkat cells. We describe for the first time that MUC1 is expressed in stimulated and unstimulated Jurkat cells and normal unstimulated T cells using specific antibodies directed not only against the TR extracellular protein core of MUC1 but also against the CT domain of MUC1. We demonstrate phosphorylation of MUC1 in response to TCR signaling and show a direct association of MUC1 with p56lck and localization with LAT in the low-density, detergent-insoluble membrane raft fractions. We demonstrate that MUC1-deficient Jurkats have reduced Ca2+ influx associated with reduced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, reduced T cell proliferation, and cytokine production. This is the first study describing a direct and critical role of MUC1 during Jurkat cell activation and proliferation. Lack of MUC1 in Jurkat cells adversely affects the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and the Ca2+ release pathway, which ultimately control downstream proliferation and cytokine production.
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Antibodies used for detection of MUC1
Antibodies used include HMPV: MUC1 TR mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC; minimum epitope, APDTR, BD PharMingen) [28
]; BC2: mouse mAb (minimum epitope, APDTR, provided by Dr. Michael McGuckin, Mater Medical Research Center, Australia); human milk fat globule-2 (HMFG-2): mouse mAb (minimum epitope, PDTRP, provided by Dr. Joyce Taylor-Papadimitriou, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London, UK); and CT2: hamster mAb, made in our laboratory and directed against the last 17 amino acids of the CT.
Human T cells
The Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board (Scottsdale, AZ) approved the research study. All healthy, age-matched volunteers signed informed consents for peripheral blood. Normal donors ranged from 35 to 55 years of age. Whole blood was obtained from the study subjects, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated using a Ficoll-Paque density gradient centrifugation. Double-staining was performed using CD3 antibody conjugated to phycoerythrin (PE), and MUC1 TR mouse mAb conjugated to FITC. For lysates, buffy coat cells (1x107 cells) were incubated with 50 µl Miltenyi-CD3 microbeads (at 4°C for 20 min, Miltenyi Biotec, Auburn, CA) and positively sorted by magnetic activated cell sorting using the Mitenyi RS-columns and Vario MACs magnet as per the manufacturers recommendation. T cells were maintained in RPMI-1640 media containing 10% FCS, 1% glutamax, and 1% penicillin and streptomycin. The cells were stimulated in vitro at 37°C with purified, plate-bound, anti-human CD3 antibody and anti-human CD28 antibody (1 µg/106 cells, BD PharMingen) for 15 min.
Flow cytometric analysis
MUC1 expression was determined by flow cytometry using two mAb to MUC1, one detecting the extracellular TR domain (HMPV) and one detecting the CT domain (CT2 antibody). CD69 antibody was from BD PharMingen. Intracellular interleukin (IL)-2 levels were determined using the BD PharMingen protocol (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA). Flow cytometric analysis was performed on the Becton Dickinson FACScan using the CellQuest program (Becton Dickinson, Mountain View, CA).
Immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis
Lysates from Jurkat cells were prepared and immunoprecipitated with antibodies to MUC1 (CT2, BC2) and lck followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) on 10% resolving gels. Immunoprecipitations were performed on 1 mg of the protein. Gels were probed for CT2, BC2, lck (clone 3A5, Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, CA), and phosphotyrosine (clone RC20, Transduction Laboratories, Lexington, KY). Lysates were made from 0.55 x 108 cells in cold buffer containing 20 mM HEPES, pH 8.0, 0.15 M NaCl, and 1% Triton X-100, supplemented with 80 µl/ml phosphatase inhibitor cocktail II (P-5726, Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO) and 10 µl/ml complete protease inhibitor cocktail (Boehringer Mannheim, Indianapolis, IN). In brief, cells were incubated in lysis buffer for 15 min on ice and sonicated with Branson microtip, power 4, 310 x 10 s bursts (at 20%). Lysates were centrifuged (5000 rpm for 10 min in cold) to remove debris, and supernatants were collected, aliquoted, and stored in a 70°C freezer until further use. Other antibodies for Western blot analysis include LAT (Santa Cruz Biotechnology), ERK1/2 (Cell Signaling, Beverly, MA), and phosphorylated ERK1/2 (pERK1/2; Sigma Chemical Co.).
Purification of detergent-insoluble fractions
Lipid raft fractions were prepared as described by Zhang et al. [29
]. Briefly, cells (5x107) were lysed in 1% Triton-X 100 in (25 mM 2-morpholinoethanesulfonic acid, pH 6.5, 150 mM NaCl, 5 mM EDTA) + phosphatase and protease inhibitors (MNE buffer), dounced 40 times in a manual homogenizer, and centrifuged at low speed (1000 rpm for 3 min) to remove nuclear fraction. Supernatant was subjected to sucrose gradient centrifugation [80% sucrose+1 ml lysate (mixed together), 30% sucrose in MNE buffer, 5% sucrose in MNE] in 11 x 60 mm polyallomer tubes (Beckman Instruments Inc., Palo Alto, CA) and ultracentrifuged in a Beckmann SW60 rotor for 18 h at 35,000 rpm at 4°C. Twelve fractions (
350 µl each) were collected from the top of the gradient such that the lower density fractions were at the top, and the higher density fractions were at the bottom and subjected to Western blot analysis.
Small interfering RNA (siRNA) treatment of Jurkats
To generate Jurkat cells that lack MUC1, we used siRNA oligos targeting MUC1 (Dharmacon Research, Lafayette, CO). Two 21-nucleotide siRNA sequences targeting MUC1 were selected from position 882902 (oligo 1 sequence, 5'3' ACC UCC AGU UUA AUU CCU C) and position 956976 (oligo 2 sequence, 5'3' AUG UUU UUG CAG AUU UAU A) relative to the start codon [30
]. SiRNA, targeting luciferase as a negative control (sequence, CGU ACG CGG AAU ACU UCG A) as well as oligofectamine alone, was used in control transfections for all experiments. Cells were treated with MUC1- or luciferase-specific siRNA oligos using oligofectamine (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) as described by the manufacturer of siRNA (Dharmacon Inc.). Briefly, cells were transfected with 75 µM siRNA oligo in serum-free Opti-MEM and allowed to remain in siRNA containing media for 48 h prior to harvesting and preparation of lysates.
Determination of free intracellular calcium (Ca2+)
We used the Ca2+ flux fluorometric assay as described previously [31
, 32
]. In brief, 48 h post-siRNA transfection, Jurkat cells were loaded with 5 µM Fura-2AM (Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR) for 20 min in a 37°C water bath. Changes in intracellular calcium were monitored using the FluoroMax-3 spectrofluorometer (Spex, Edison, NJ). Once stable, basal intracellular Ca2+ levels were reached (
100 s), cells were stimulated with anti-CD3 antibody (1 µg/106 cells) in solution, and fluorescence was quantified. Emission was determined at 520 nm after excitation at 340 and 380 nm, and calcium concentration was calculated from the ratio of the two intensities [33
]. The peak intracellular calcium concentration post-anti-CD3 antibody stimulation was used to establish the difference among the oligofectamine-transfected cells, nonspecific luciferase siRNA-transfected cells, and MUC1-specific siRNA-transfected cells.
Proliferation assay
Forty-eight hours post-siRNA transfection, cells were incubated for 24 h with or without anti-CD3 antibody and 3H-thymidine added 16 h prior to harvest. Cells were harvested using the Packard cell harvester, and incorporated thymidine was evaluated using the Topcount micro-scintillation counter (Packard Biosciences, Shelton, CT).
Statistics
One-way ANOVA with the Dunnet adjustment was used to assess the difference between the vehicle group and the MUC1 siRNA and luciferase siRNA groups. P values less than 0.05 are considered significant. Confidence intervals (95%) were generated around the difference in group means.
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200 in unstimulated and stimulated cells (Fig. 1A
). Percent Jurkat cells expressing MUC1 increased to
90% by 24 h using MUC1 TR (HMPV FITC) and MUC1 CT antibodies (Fig. 1A)
. A similar increase has been reported in normal human T cells post-phytohemagglutinin stimulation [12
]. These results were confirmed with other MUC1 TR antibodies including B27.29, HMFG-2, and BC2 (data not shown). Western blot analysis confirmed the flow cytometry data, using BC2 to detect the MUC1 TR domain (>220 kD) and CT2 to detect the MUC1 CT domain (
26 kD; Fig. 1B
). MUC1 is expressed as a heterodimer on the cell surface, which separates into a large, extracellular domain (>220 kD) and a short, hydrophobic TM and cytoplasmic domain of
26 kD upon SDS-PAGE. Although little difference in MUC1 protein levels was observed by Western blot between unstimulated and stimulated cells (5 min stimulation, Fig. 1B
), there was increased phosphorylation of MUC1 CT upon activation by TCR ligation (Fig. 1C
, left panel). To detect MUC1 phosphorylation, cell lysates were immunoprecipitated using CT2 antibody and probed with antiphosphotyrosine and CT2 antibodies. To confirm that Jurkat cells were activated post-TCR ligation, lysates from unstimulated and stimulated cells were analyzed for lck phosphorylation. In line with previous reports [34
, 35
], activation of Jurkat cells led to an induction of lck phosphorylation (Fig. 1D)
. MUC1 staining was also detected using MUC1 TR antibodies (HMPV and BC2) in patients with T cell lymphomas; three out of five patients showed positivity by immunohistochemistry (data not shown). Furthermore, other human T cell leukemia/lymphoma cell lines, including MOLT-4, HH, Loucy, and HUT78, expressed MUC1 by flow cytometry using MUC1 TR (HMPV) antibody (data not shown).
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Figure 1. MUC1 is expressed in unstimulated and stimulated Jurkat cells and is phosphorylated in stimulated cells. (A) Flow cytometric analysis of Jurkat cells, stained with MUC1 TR (HMPV) or MUC1 CT (CT2) antibody to detect MUC1 expression, was performed at 0 (unstimulated), 5 min, and 3, 6, and 24 h. Solid lines represent isotype controls, and stained cells are represented by different shades of gray histograms. (B) Western blot (IB) analysis of unstimulated (0') and stimulated (5') Jurkat cells. Protein (100 ug) was loaded per lane and probed for MUC1 TR (BC2, 220 kD) and MUC1 CT (CT2, 26 kD). (C) Immunoprecipitation (IP) and Western blot analysis of unstimulated (0') and stimulated (5') Jurkat cells for MUC1 CT and phospho-MUC1 (pTyr). IgG, Immunoglobulin G. (D) Western blot analysis of unstimulated (0') and stimulated (5') Jurkat cells for Lck and phosphor-lck (p Lck) using the lck antibody, which detects phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated lck equally well. Experiments were repeated five times with similar results.
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55% (11/20) of normal, unstimulated donor T cells in varying levels (Fig. 2A
2B
2C
2D
2E
; five representative T cell data are shown). Unstimulated T cells from donor B had no detectable MUC1. However, all normal T cells that were stimulated by TCR ligation or polyclonal activation for 24 h showed detectable levels of MUC1 by flow cytometry (data not shown). Flow cytometric data were further confirmed with Western blot analysis using CT2 antibody (Fig. 2F)
. Similar to Jurkat cells, MUC1 CT was found to be phosphorylated upon TCR-mediated activation (Fig. 2F)
.
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Figure 2. MUC1 is expressed in normal human T cells and is phosphorylated upon TCR ligation. (AE) Flow cytometric analysis of five normal, unactivated human T cells stained with MUC1 TR (HMFG-2) antibody to detect MUC1 expression. Differential MUC1 TR staining pattern was observed. Solid lines represent isotype controls, and stained cells are represented by shaded histograms. (F) Immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis of unstimulated (0') and stimulated (15') T cells from donor E are shown for MUC1 and phosphoMUC1. Similar results were obtained from donors C and D.
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Figure 3. MUC1 associates with T cell tyrosine kinase, lck. Lysates from unstimulated (0') and stimulated Jurkat cells or normal T cells were immunoprecipitated with antibodies to MUC1 CT (CT2) or Lck, and precipitates were analyzed for (A and C) Lck or (B and D) MUC1 (CT2). Coimmunoprecipitation of MUC1 CT and lck is observed in both directions. Immunoprecipitations from T cells from donor E are shown. Experiments were repeated five times for Jurkat cells and three times for normal T cells with similar results.
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Figure 4. MUC1 is detected in the low-density, detergent-insoluble membrane fractions. Western blot analysis of the first 12 sucrose gradient fractions for (A) Lck, (B) LAT, and (C) MUC1 CT. Left panels, Fractions from unstimulated cells; right panels, fractions from stimulated cells. Protein (20 µg) was loaded per lane. Experiment was repeated three times with similar results.
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Figure 5. MUC1-specific siRNA is efficient in knocking down MUC1 protein expression in Jurkat cells. (A) Western blot analysis of MUC1 CT, 48 h post-treatment with MUC1-specific siRNA 1 (oligo 1: 882902) or siRNA 2 (oligo 2: 956976). Controls cells were treated with luciferase-specific siRNA (Luc siRNA) or oligofectamine (Vehicle). (B) Flow cytometric analysis of MUC1 TR (HMPV) surface expression at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h post-siRNA treatment. Individual histograms of isotype control-, MUC1 siRNA-, vehicle-, and Luc siRNA-treated cells are shown. Experiments repeated three times with similar results.
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Figure 6. (A) MUC1 regulates TCR-induced calcium fluxes. Representative graph of Ca2+ release post-anti-CD3 activation in MUC1 siRNA-, luciferase siRNA-, and vehicle-treated cells. Forty-eight hours post-siRNA transfection, Jurkat cells were loaded with Fura-2AM, and intracellular calcium was monitored before and after stimulation using a spectrofluorometer. The ratio of bound Fura-2AM/free Fura-2AM is shown on the representative graph. The arrow corresponds to the time at which the anti-CD3 antibody was added. Cells were observed for 250 s. (B) Ca2+ release as percent of vehicle following anti-CD3 activation in MUC1 siRNA- and Luc siRNA-treated Jurkat cells (n=3 experiments; P=0.01 using the Students two-tail t-test). (C) MUC1 regulates TCR-induced proliferation. 3H-Thymidine uptake assay of vehicle-, MUC1 siRNA-, and luc siRNA-treated cells unstimulated (open bars) or stimulated (solid bars). A significant decrease in proliferation was observed in MUC1 siRNA-treated cells following stimulation (P<0.001). (D) A representative profile of forward- (FSC) and side-scatter (SSC) of Jurkat cells. (E) MUC1 regulates expression of early activation marker CD69. Flow cytometric analysis of CD69 surface expression in vehicle-, MUC1 siRNA-, and luc siRNA-treated cells, which were unstimulated (open histograms) or stimulated for 48 h (shaded histograms). (F) MUC1 regulates intracellular IL-2 levels. Flow cytometric analysis of intracellular IL-2 in vehicle-, MUC1 siRNA-, and luc siRNA-treated cells, which were unstimulated (open histograms) or stimulated for 48 h (shaded histograms). A significant decrease in CD69 (P<0.01) and intracellular IL-2 (P<0.001) was observed in MUC1 siRNA-treated cells compared with vehicle-treated cells following 48 h stimulation.
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Figure 7. MUC1 regulates ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Western blot analysis of ERK1/2 protein (lower panel) and pERK1/2 (upper panel) of MUC1 siRNA, Luc siRNA, and vehicle-treated cells. All experiments were repeated three times with similar results.
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MUC1 is recognized as an important tumor antigen in epithelial and hematopoietic malignancies including T cell lymphomas. We show for the first time that in a human T cell lymphoma line, MUC1 plays a critical role in activation and proliferation, and absence of MUC1 may be associated with marked reduction in proliferation upon TCR ligation. Reduced proliferation correlates with reduced Ca2+ influx and reduced ERK phosphorylation, events that are critical in the progression of cancer. In the absence of MUC1, activation of ERK2 was almost completely blocked, even upon stimulation, linking MUC1 activation to the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway. As the sequence that binds the c-Src tyrosine kinase has been identified as the YEKV motif in the CT of MUC1 [22 ], it is plausible that lck binds and phosphorylates MUC1 at the same site in activated Jurkat cells. At the same time as our studies were under way to determine phosphorylation by lck and to map the site on MUC1 CT, it was reported that lck phosphorylates MUC1 CT on the YEKV motif, which in turn stimulated the binding of MUC1 to ß-catenin in 293 cells (ref. [23 ] and unpublished data). These results confirm the interaction of MUC1 with lck kinase and suggest integration with the ß-catenin pathway.
One possibility for the downstream signaling defects in MUC1-deficient Jurkat cells is that MUC1 may be involved in the transport/localization of lck to the TCR signaling complex, where activated LAT forms the platform to recruit other signal transduction molecules. This is probably mediated through interaction of MUC1 with activated lck, presumably at the SH2 domain (Fig. 3) . The suggestion that MUC1 may be involved in lck localization is exemplified in Figure 4 (right panels), where upon TCR-mediated stimulation, MUC1 is detected in the same low-density membrane fractions as phosphorylated lck and LAT. Thus, we speculate that the signaling defect may be a result of the loss of recruitment of lck to the TCR signaling complex, where downstream signaling is amplified. Studies are under way to evaluate more definitively the role of MUC1 in localization of lck to the appropriate signaling compartment in specific T cells including T cells that lack lck. In our preliminary data, we have observed that MUC1 coprecipitates with LAT (unpublished data). Whether the interaction or binding is direct is not yet clear; however, the functional significance of the interaction may be profound with regard to TCR-mediated activation, as data suggest profound downstream, functional impairment in the absence of MUC1 (Fig. 6) . As ZAP-70 phosphorylates LAT, we have determined that MUC1 (CD227) coprecipitates with ZAP-70 (unpublished data and ref. [23 ]) and therefore, may form a complex with LAT during TCR-mediated activation.
In the absence of MUC1, ERK1/2 phosphorylation is reduced significantly in resting Jurkat cells (Fig. 7) . Upon TCR-mediated activation, ERK1 becomes phosphorylated, but ERK2 remains largely nonphosphorylated, leading to a defect in cell-cycle progression of Jurkat cells in the absence of MUC1. It has been shown previously that phosphorylated MUC1 CT leads to activation of a MAPK pathway through the Ras-MAPK kinase (MEK)-ERK2 pathway in some carcinomas [4 , 9 , 10 , 37 ]. One of the suggested roles of MUC1 may be regulation of cell growth and differentiation via a common signaling pathway, namely the Grb2/Sos-Ras-MEK-ERK2 pathway. Thus, we suggest that the decrease in proliferation of MUC1-deficient Jurkat cells may be a result of a direct effect of MUC1 on the Ras-MEK-ERK2 pathway or an indirect effect on proximal signaling via altering lck phosphorylation and relocation or by both. Eventually, this defect in activation of the Ras-MEK-ERK2 pathway may lead to reduced expression of CD69 and production of IL-2. The data, however, do not indicate that MUC1 is absolutely required for lymphoma cells to proliferate, as siRNA knock-down of MUC1 did not completely block proliferation but instead, inhibited anti-CD3-induced proliferation of these cells (Fig. 6B) , suggesting that MUC1 may not function as an oncogene in these particular cells, as has been recently reported in the literature for epithelial cell carcinomas [4 , 5 ]. Whether overexpressing MUC1 in Jurkat cells may cause increased proliferation without CD3 activation is not yet evaluated and is an area of active investigation.
Although Ca2+ influx and proliferation are affected when MUC1 is knocked down, we observed no change in levels of PLC
1 phosphorylation (data not shown). Although it is possible that PLC
1 is involved in mitogenic signaling under certain circumstances, studies have demonstrated that in carcinoma cells, mitogenesis and proliferation can occur despite blockade of PLC
1 signaling [38
39
40
]. Thus, other alternative pathways may be involved in Ca2+ flux and proliferation in Jurkat cells, which are not dependent on PLC
1 activation.
The physiological relevance of MUC1 expression in the low-density membrane fractions (Fig. 4) is unknown at this time, but it has been described previously in another human T cell line, HUT78 [24 ]. In this cell line and in the EL4 mouse thymoma cell line, MUC1 and P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) were enriched in the low-density fraction [glycosylation-enriched microdomain (GEM)] together with glycosphingolipids (GSL), CD45, Yes, fyn, and lck. The authors suggested that MUC1 and PSGL-1 make up another glycosyl cluster (glycocluster) in addition to the previously well-established GSL cluster, which is organized with signal transducer molecules in the GEM fraction. Components of the glycocluster complex with signal transducers in the GEM are neither invaginations nor moving platforms but rather rigid adhesion sites ("dock" rather than "raft") on cells from which phenotypic changes can be initiated. It is suggested that MUC1 associates with the GEM as a result of its interaction with cholesterol, presumably through its hydrophobic TM region. Thus, we speculate that the MUC1-associated glycocluster, like GSLs, is organized with the cytoplasmic signal transducers such as the src kinase lck and LAT. Ligands binding GSLs initiate signaling through these signal transducers, affecting the downstream MAPK pathway and leading to phenotypic changes in Jurkat T lymphoma cells [41 , 42 ]. Thus, enrichment of MUC1 in the low-density membrane fractions may suggest a functional role for this protein in recruiting various signal transducers in T cells. As is documented, glycoclusters in leukocytes mediate adhesion, and this adhesion is highly dependent on O-glycosylation [43 ]. Thus, O-linked glycoclusters consisting of MUC1 and PSGL-1 in lymphocyte microdomains may play crucial roles in cell adhesion coupled with signaling. Preliminary data suggest that MUC1 colocalizes with caveolin-1 and GM1 in anti-CD3-activated Jurkat cells by confocal microscopy (data not shown); however, further studies will address the localization of MUC1 in lipid rafts in T cells more specifically and its potential function in the immunologic synapse.
In summary, a role for MUC1 in signal transduction in normal T cells and Jurkat T lymphoma cells is proposed. MUC1 appears to be important in TCR-mediated activation, as evidenced by the inhibition of T cell function when its expression is down-regulated by siRNA. Binding to MUC1 may cause recruitment of signaling molecules such as lck kinase to the plasma membrane, resulting in molecules in correct proximity for propagation of signals. Through such a mechanism, MUC1 could bridge TCR activation to downstream signaling events, in particular, intracellular calcium flux, proliferation, and productive Ras activation, leading to downstream events such as expression of CD69 and production of the cytokine IL-2. Extensive studies are under way to understand the interaction of MUC1 with multiple biochemical pathways in T cell activation mediated through the TCR.
Received June 9, 2004; revised October 4, 2004; accepted October 7, 2004.
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1 after stimulation of the T cell antigen receptor J. Exp. Med. 176,373-379
1 and the Ras pathway Immunity 9,617-626[CrossRef][Medline]
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