title: Engagement of CD4 before TCR triggering regulates both Bax- and Fas (CD95)-mediated apoptosis.
abstract: In the present study, we have aimed at clarifying the CD4-dependent molecular mechanisms that regulate human memory T cell susceptibility to both Fas (CD95)-dependent and Bcl-2-dependent apoptotic pathways following antigenic challenge. To address this issue, we used an experimental system of viral and alloantigen-specific T cell lines and clones and two ligands of CD4 molecules, Leu-3a mAb and HIV gp120. We demonstrate that CD4 engagement before TCR triggering suppresses the TCR-mediated neosynthesis of the Flice-like inhibitory protein and transforms memory T cells from a CD95-resistant to a CD95-susceptible phenotype. Moreover, evidence that the apoptotic programs were executed while Fas ligand mRNA expression was inhibited led us to analyze Bcl-2-dependent pathways. The data show that the engagement of CD4 separately from TCR influences the expression of the proapoptotic protein Bax independently of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, whereas Ag activation coordinately modulates both Bax and Bcl-2. The increased expression of Bax and the consequent dissipation of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (DeltaPsim) suggest a novel immunoregulatory function of CD4 and demonstrate that both passive cell death and activation-induced cell death are operative in CD4+ memory T cells. Furthermore, analysis of the mechanisms by which IL-2 and IL-4 cytokines exert their protective function on CD4+ T cells in the presence of soluble CD4 ligands shows that they were able to revert susceptibility to Bax-mediated but not to CD95-dependent apoptotic pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology, "La Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Somma
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tuosto
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gilardini Montani
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Di Somma
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cundari
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piccolella
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D002999:Clone Cells; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000502:physiology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000502:physiology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; C494826:BAX protein, human; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D019014:fas Receptor; D015847:Interleukin-4