Stimulation of human naive and memory T helper cells with bacterial superantigen. Naive CD4+45RA+ T cells require a costimulatory signal mediated through the LFA-1/ICAM-1 pathway.
The role of the accessory molecule ICAM-1 in activation of subpopulations of human T cells was examined using the bacterial superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) as a MHC class II and TCR-dependent polyclonal T cell activator. Human T cells responded with different sensitivity to SEA when presented on mouse accessory cells expressing a human transfected MHC class II gene product. Mouse L cells cotransfected with both MHC class II (DR2A or DR7) and ICAM-1-stimulated T cells at 100-fold lower concentrations of SEA as compared to the single transfected cells. mAb reacting with the CD11a, CD18, or ICAM-1 molecules efficiently inhibited T cell activation with the cotransfected HLA-DR2A/ICAM-1 cell but did not influence T cell activation with the HLA-DR2A single transfected cell. Analysis of the ICAM-1 requirement on CD4+ memory (CD4+45RO+) and naive (CD4+45RA+) T cells revealed that CD4+45RA+ naive Th cells were hyporesponsive to SEA-induced activation with the HLA-DR2A single transfectant. However, cotransfection of ICAM-1 enabled these cells to respond to low doses of SEA implicating that they are more dependent on accessory molecules than the CD4+45RO+ cells. rICAM-1 immobilized on a plastic surface, was able to strongly costimulate SEA-induced T cell activation with the HLA-DR2A single transfectant, suggesting that costimulatory signals mediated to the T cells through LFA-1 can be delivered physically separated from the TCR signal. CD4+45RO+ memory and CD4+45RA+ naive Th cells apparently differ in their capacities to be activated by SEA bound to HLA-DR. Although the TCR molecule densities are similar in these two subsets, costimulation with ICAM-1 is required for activation of the CD4+45RA+, but not the CD4+45RO+ T cell subset at 1 to 10,000 ng/ml concentrations of SEA. This observation indicates different activation thresholds of naive and memory Th cells when triggering the TCR over a wide dose interval of superantigen.
Fischer
H
H
Wallenberg Laboratory, Department of Tumor Immunology, University of Lund, Sweden.
Gjörloff
A
A
Hedlund
G
G
Hedman
H
H
Lundgren
E
E
Kalland
T
T
Sjögren
H O
HO
Dohlsten
M
M
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D004768:Enterotoxins; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; C026066:enterotoxin A, Staphylococcal; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens