title: Protein tyrosine kinase activation and protein kinase C translocation are functional components of CD40 signal transduction in resting human B cells.
abstract: CD40 is a 47kD glycoprotein expressed on all B cells that plays an important role in B cell development and activation. Previous investigations have focused on signal transduction events in activated B cells and B cell lines, and little information is available regarding CD40 signal transduction in resting, normal B cells. Because CD40 plays a critical role in the regulation and activation of resting B cells, we studied the signaling mechanisms involved in functional responses to CD40 ligation in these cells. Treatment of dense tonsil B cells with either protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) or protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, but not with an inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide dependent kinases, resulted in abrogation of CD40-mediated cell adhesion, suggesting a role for both PTK and PKC in CD40-mediated B cell adhesion. Direct evidence for CD40-mediated PTK activation was demonstrated by increased tyrosine phosphorylation as detected by anti-phosphotyrosine Western blots of cell lysates prepared from dense resting tonsil B cells stimulated with biotinylated anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody plus avidin. CD40 engagement also resulted in PKC activation, as detected by translocation of cytosolic PKC activity to the membrane-bound compartment. CD40-mediated PKC translocation was dependent on PTK activation, whereas PTK activity induced by CD40 ligation was independent of PKC activity, suggesting that PTK activation precedes PKC activation in resting B cells stimulated with anti-CD40 mAb. The results of our experiments identify PTK and PKC activation as components of CD40 signal transduction in normal, resting B cells and establish a functional role for these events.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Geha
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism*; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000378:metabolism*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D019013:CD40 Antigens; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002648:Child; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000166:cytology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D019013:CD40 Antigens; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D011493:Protein Kinase C