title: Nanometer-scale organization of the alpha subunits of the receptors for IL2 and IL15 in human T lymphoma cells.
abstract: Interleukin 2 and interleukin 15 (IL2 and IL15, respectively) provide quite distinct contributions to T-cell-mediated immunity, despite having similar receptor composition and signaling machinery. As most of the proposed mechanisms underlying this apparent paradox attribute key significance to the individual alpha-chains of IL2 and IL15 receptors, we investigated the spatial organization of the receptors IL2Ralpha and IL15Ralpha at the nanometer scale expressed on a human CD4+ leukemia T cell line using single-molecule-sensitive near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). In agreement with previous findings, we here confirm clustering of IL2Ralpha and IL15Ralpha at the submicron scale. In addition to clustering, our single-molecule data reveal that a non-negligible percentage of the receptors are organized as monomers. Only a minor fraction of IL2Ralpha molecules reside outside the clustered domains, whereas approximately 30% of IL15Ralpha molecules organize as monomers or small clusters, excluded from the main domain regions. Interestingly, we also found that the packing densities per unit area of both IL2Ralpha and IL15Ralpha domains remained constant, suggesting a 'building block' type of assembly involving repeated structures and composition. Finally, dual-color NSOM demonstrated co-clustering of the two alpha-chains. Our results should aid understanding the action of the IL2R-IL15R system in T cell function and also might contribute to the more rationale design of IL2R- or IL15R-targeted immunotherapy agents for treating human leukemia.
authors.affiliation: Applied Optics group, Faculty of Science and Technology, MESA+ Research Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bärbel I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: de Bakker
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bodnár
authors.forename: Erik M H P
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vámosi
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Damjanovich
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Waldmann
authors.forename: Niek F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: van Hulst
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jenei
authors.forename: María F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Garcia-Parajo
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000276:immunology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000502:physiology; D011940:Receptor Aggregation / Q000276:immunology*; D053647:Receptors, Interleukin-15 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C508024:IL15RA protein, human; D019409:Interleukin-15; D007376:Interleukin-2; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D053647:Receptors, Interleukin-15