title: Alpha2beta1 integrin is the major collagen-binding integrin expressed on human Th17 cells.
abstract: Growing evidence indicates that collagen-binding integrins are important costimulatory molecules of effector T cells. In this study, we demonstrate that the major collagen-binding integrin expressed by human Th17 cells is alpha2beta1 (α2β1) or VLA-2, also known as the receptor for collagen I on T cells. Our results show that human naïve CD4(+) T cells cultured under Th17 polarization conditions preferentially upregulate α2β1 integrin rather than α1β1 integrin, which is the receptor for collagen IV on T cells. Double staining analysis for integrin receptors and intracellular IL-17 showed that α2 integrin but not α1 integrin is associated with Th17 cells. Cell adhesion experiments demonstrated that Th17 cells attach to collagen I and collagen II using α2β1 integrin but did not attach to collagen IV. Functional studies revealed that collagens I and II but not collagen IV costimulate the production of IL-17A, IL-17F and IFN-γ by human Th17 cells activated with anti-CD3. These results identify α2β1 integrin as the major collagen receptor expressed on human Th17 cells and suggest that it can be an important costimulatory molecule of Th17 cell responses.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Rhumatologie/Immunologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Pavillon CHUL, and Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boisvert
authors.forename: Nizar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chetoui
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gendron
authors.forename: Fawzi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aoudjit
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D003094:Collagen / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000276:immunology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D038982:Integrin alpha2beta1 / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology*; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D038981:Receptors, Collagen / Q000276:immunology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D038982:Integrin alpha2beta1; D020381:Interleukin-17; D038981:Receptors, Collagen; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D003094:Collagen