title: Galectin-8 induces apoptosis in Jurkat T cells by phosphatidic acid-mediated ERK1/2 activation supported by protein kinase A down-regulation.
abstract: Galectins have been implicated in T cell homeostasis playing complementary pro-apoptotic roles. Here we show that galectin-8 (Gal-8) is a potent pro-apoptotic agent in Jurkat T cells inducing a complex phospholipase D/phosphatidic acid signaling pathway that has not been reported for any galectin before. Gal-8 increases phosphatidic signaling, which enhances the activity of both ERK1/2 and type 4 phosphodiesterases (PDE4), with a subsequent decrease in basal protein kinase A activity. Strikingly, rolipram inhibition of PDE4 decreases ERK1/2 activity. Thus Gal-8-induced PDE4 activation releases a negative influence of cAMP/protein kinase A on ERK1/2. The resulting strong ERK1/2 activation leads to expression of the death factor Fas ligand and caspase-mediated apoptosis. Several conditions that decrease ERK1/2 activity also decrease apoptosis, such as anti-Fas ligand blocking antibodies. In addition, experiments with freshly isolated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, previously stimulated with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28, show that Gal-8 is pro-apoptotic on activated T cells, most likely on a subpopulation of them. Anti-Gal-8 autoantibodies from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus block the apoptotic effect of Gal-8. These results implicate Gal-8 as a novel T cell suppressive factor, which can be counterbalanced by function-blocking autoantibodies in autoimmunity.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Inmunología Clínica y Reumatología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Norambuena
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Metz
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vicuña
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pardo
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oyanadel
authors.forename: Loreto
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Massardo
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soza
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D054703:Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 4 / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D037161:Galectins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019169:Jurkat Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D010712:Phosphatidic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D037161:Galectins; D007376:Interleukin-2; C091991:LGALS8 protein, human; D010712:Phosphatidic Acids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D054703:Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 4