title: T cell receptor-initiated calcium release is uncoupled from capacitative calcium entry in Itk-deficient T cells.
abstract: Itk, a Tec family tyrosine kinase, plays an important but as yet undefined role in T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. Here we show that T cells from Itk-deficient mice have a TCR-proximal signaling defect, resulting in defective interleukin 2 secretion. Upon TCR stimulation, Itk-/- T cells release normal amounts of calcium from intracellular stores, but fail to open plasma membrane calcium channels. Since thapsigargin-induced store depletion triggers normal calcium entry in Itk-/- T cells, an impaired biochemical link between store depletion and channel opening is unlikely to be responsible for this defect. Biochemical studies indicate that TCR-induced inositol 1,4,5 tris-phosphate (IP3) generation and phospholipase C gamma1 tyrosine phosphorylation are substantially reduced in Itk-/- T cells. In contrast, TCR-zeta and ZAP-70 are phosphorylated normally, suggesting that Itk functions downstream of, or in parallel to, ZAP-70 to facilitate TCR-induced IP3 production. These findings support a model in which quantitative differences in cytosolic IP3 trigger distinct responses, and in which only high concentrations of IP3 trigger the influx of extracellular calcium.
authors.affiliation: Program of Immunology, Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: K Q
authors.initials: KQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Bunnell
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Gurniak
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Berg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017136:Ion Transport / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C080813:emt protein-tyrosine kinase; D002118:Calcium