Ligation of major histocompatability complex (MHC) class I molecules on human T cells induces cell death through PI-3 kinase-induced c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase activity: a novel apoptotic pathway distinct from Fas-induced apoptosis.
Ligation of major histocompatability complex class I (MHC-I) molecules expressed on T cells leads to both growth arrest and apoptosis. The aim of the current study was to investigate the intracellular signal pathways that mediate these effects. MHC-I ligation of human Jurkat T cells induced a morphologically distinct form of apoptosis within 6 h. A specific caspase inhibitor, which inhibited Fas-induced apoptosis, did not affect apoptosis induced by MHC-I ligation. Furthermore, MHC-I-induced apoptosis did not involve cleavage and activation of the poly(ADP- ribose) polymerase (PARP) endonuclease or degradation of genomic DNA into the typical fragmentation ladder, both prominent events of Fas-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that MHC-I ligation of Jurkat T cells induce apoptosis through a signal pathway distinct from the Fas molecule. In our search for other signal pathways leading to apoptosis, we found that the regulatory 85-kD subunit of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI-3) kinase was tyrosine phosphorylated after ligation of MHC-I and the PI-3 kinase inhibitor wortmannin selectively blocked MHC-I-, but not Fas-induced, apoptosis. As the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) can be activated by PI-3 kinase activity, and has been shown to be involved in apoptosis of lymphocytes, we examined JNK activation after MHC-I ligation. Strong JNK activity was observed after MHC-I ligation and the activity was completely blocked by wortmannin. Inhibition of JNK activity, by transfecting cells with a dominant-negative JNKK- MKK4 construct, led to a strong reduction of apoptosis after MHC-I ligation. These results suggest a critical engagement of PI-3 kinase-induced JNK activity in apoptosis induced by MHC-I ligation.
Skov
S
S
Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Department of Medical Anatomy, The Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark. s.skov@mai.ku.dk
Klausen
P
P
Claesson
M H
MH
D000730:Androstadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019169:Jurkat Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D014162:Transfection; D000077191:Wortmannin
D000730:Androstadienes; D000906:Antibodies; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D006570:Heterochromatin; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000077191:Wortmannin; C482559:MAP2K4 protein, human