Cutting edge: integration of human T lymphocyte cytoskeleton by the cytolinker plectin.
Chemokine-induced polarization of lymphocytes involves the rapid collapse of vimentin intermediate filaments (IFs) into an aggregate within the uropod. Little is known about the interactions of lymphocyte vimentin with other cytoskeletal elements. We demonstrate that human peripheral blood T lymphocytes express plectin, an IF-binding, cytoskeletal cross-linking protein. Plectin associates with a complex of structural proteins including vimentin, actin, fodrin, moesin, and lamin B in resting peripheral blood T lymphocytes. During chemokine-induced polarization, plectin redistributes to the uropod associated with vimentin and fodrin; their spatial distribution indicates that this vimentin-plectin-fodrin complex provides a continuous linkage from the nucleus (lamin B) to the cortical cytoskeleton. Overexpression of the plectin IF-binding domain in the T cell line Jurkat induces the perinuclear aggregation of vimentin IFs. Plectin is therefore likely to serve as an important organizer of the lymphocyte cytoskeleton and may regulate changes of lymphocyte cytoarchitecture during polarization and extravasation.
Brown
M J
MJ
Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. BrownM@exchange.nih.gov
Hallam
J A
JA
Liu
Y
Y
Yamada
K M
KM
Shaw
S
S
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D017398:Alternative Splicing; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016764:Cell Polarity; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019169:Jurkat Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D034921:Lamin Type B; D034882:Lamins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051190:Plectin; D011554:Pseudopodia / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism; D013049:Spectrin
D000199:Actins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D034921:Lamin Type B; D034882:Lamins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D051190:Plectin; D014746:Vimentin; D013049:Spectrin; C495332:PLEC protein, human