Functional competence of T cells in the absence of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins caused by T cell-specific disruption of the Pig-a gene.
T lymphocytes express various glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored surface proteins, such as Thy-1 and Ly-6A. However, functional contribution of GPI-anchored proteins in T cell activation is as yet poorly understood. Here we report the generation of mutant mice deficient in the expression of GPI-anchored molecules exclusively in their T cells. We established mice carrying three identically oriented lox-P sites within the Pig-a gene, which encodes a component essential for the initial step of GPI anchor biosynthesis. These mice were crossed with mice carrying the Cre recombinase gene driven by the T cell-specific p56lck proximal promoter. Offspring carrying both the lox-P-containing Pig-a gene and the Cre transgene exhibited almost complete loss of the surface expression of GPI-anchored molecules on peripheral T cells. Interestingly, those T cells deficient in GPI-anchored molecules were capable of responding to T cell receptor stimulation in vitro and in vivo. These results indicate that T cells lacking the expression of GPI-anchored molecules are functionally competent in exerting TCR-mediated immune responses.
Department of Immunology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Y
Y
Takahama
K
K
Ohishi
Y
Y
Tokoro
T
T
Sugawara
Y
Y
Yoshimura
M
M
Okabe
T
T
Kinoshita
J
J
Takeda
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / Q000502:physiology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck) / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*
D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; C080086:phosphatidylinositol glycan-class A protein; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck)