title: Hypoxia modulates early events in T cell receptor-mediated activation in human T lymphocytes via Kv1.3 channels.
abstract: T lymphocytes are exposed to hypoxia during their development and when they migrate to hypoxic pathological sites. Although it has been shown that hypoxia inhibits Kv1.3 channels and proliferation in human T cells, the mechanisms by which hypoxia regulates T cell activation are not fully understood. Herein we test the hypothesis that hypoxic inhibition of Kv1.3 channels induces membrane depolarization, thus modulating the increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ that occurs during activation. Hypoxia causes membrane depolarization in human CD3+ T cells, as measured by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) with the voltage-sensitive dye DiBAC4(3). Similar depolarization is produced by the selective Kv1.3 channel blockers ShK-Dap22 and margatoxin. Furthermore, pre-exposure to such blockers prevents any further depolarization by hypoxia. Since membrane depolarization is unfavourable to the influx of Ca2+ through the CRAC channels (necessary to drive many events in T cell activation such as cytokine production and proliferation), the effect of hypoxia on T cell receptor-mediated increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ was determined using fura-2. Hypoxia depresses the increase in Ca2+ induced by anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies in approximately 50% of lymphocytes. In the remaining cells, hypoxia either did not elicit any change or produced a small increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+. Similar effects were observed in resting and pre-activated CD3+ cells and were mimicked by ShK-Dap22. These effects appear to be mediated solely by Kv1.3 channels, as we find no influence of hypoxia on IKCa1 and CRAC channels. Our findings indicate that hypoxia modulates Ca2+ homeostasis in T cells via Kv1.3 channel inhibition and membrane depolarization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, 231 Albert Sabin Way, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0585, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.forename: Susan Molleran
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Alexandra H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Filipovich
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szigligeti
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Neumeier
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrovic
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Conforti
mesh_terms: D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051664:Kv1.3 Potassium Channel; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated / Q000502:physiology*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: C496973:KCNA3 protein, human; D051664:Kv1.3 Potassium Channel; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell