title: A role for CaMKII in T cell memory.
abstract: In order to study the role of calcium/calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) in T cells, we generated transgenic mice expressing CaMKIIgammaB* (T287D), a partially calcium-independent mutant of CaMKIIgammaB. In these mice, the size of the thymus was increased 1.5- to 2-fold, at least in part due to an increase in the lifespan of double-positive (DP) thymocytes. More importantly, there was an increase in the number of T cells in the secondary lymphoid organs that had acquired an antigen-dependent memory phenotype. These T cells were bonafide memory cells as assessed by a variety of criteria. In addition, T cells from wild-type mice acquired calcium-independent CaMKII activity after several rounds of antigen-stimulated division. We propose that CaMKII controls a distinct process of activation-induced cellular differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0687, USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bui
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calbo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayden-Martinez
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hedrick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases