Glycosyl phosphatidylinositol membrane anchor is not required for T cell activation through CD73.
Ecto-5'-nucleotidase (5'-NT,) CD73 is a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored differentiation Ag and purine salvage enzyme expressed on the surface of subsets of human lymphocytes. CD73 mAbs, in combination with submitogenic PMA or OKT3, activate human T cells to proliferate, secrete IL-2, and express IL-2 receptors. For several GPI-anchored proteins implicated in T cell activation, activation is thought to occur through a mechanism that requires the GPI anchor. To investigate the role of the GPI anchor in CD73-mediated signal transduction, CD73 cDNA was transfected into the human T cell leukemia line Jurkat. Transfectants were stimulated to secrete IL-2 by immobilized OKT3 + PMA and by soluble CD73 mAb + PMA. The amount of IL-2 synthesized by individual clones in response to CD73 mAb + PMA was proportional to the IL-2 response to immobilized OKT3 + PMA. CD73 transfectants of Jurkat mutants defective in the TCR, in p56lck, or in the tyrosine phosphatase CD45 did not secrete IL-2 in response to CD73 mAb + PMA, suggesting a role for the CD3/TCR-signaling complex in CD73-mediated signal transduction. A transmembrane form of CD73 was expressed in Jurkat cells by fusing the extracellular portion of CD73 to the transmembrane domain of human tissue factor. Although as a group, clones expressing transmembrane CD73 synthesized less IL-2 in response to CD73 mAb + PMA than clones expressing the GPI-anchored form of the molecule, the responses of the two groups overlapped considerably. In contrast to previous studies with Ly-6, Qa-2, and CD55, the GPI anchor is not critical for activation through CD73.
Resta
R
R
Immunobiology and Cancer Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City 73104.
Hooker
S W
SW
Laurent
A B
AB
Shuck
J K
JK
Misumi
Y
Y
Ikehara
Y
Y
Koretzky
G A
GA
Thompson
L F
LF
D015720:5'-Nucleotidase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014162:Transfection
D017931:DNA Primers; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D015720:5'-Nucleotidase