title: Absence of Galectin-1 accelerates CD8⁺ T cell-mediated graft rejection.
abstract: Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is a member of a family of endogenous β-galactose-binding proteins with a role in preventing autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation. In this study, the involvement of Gal-1 in graft rejection was investigated by using Gal-1-deficient mice (Gal-1⁻/⁻). We demonstrate that in the absence of Gal-1, skin grafts are rejected earlier compared with those of WT mice, and that this is due to the role played by CD8⁺ T cells in graft rejection. The difference in graft survival observed between Gal-1⁻/⁻ and WT mice was explained by both an increase in the percentage of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells and by preferential secretion of IFN-γ and IL-17 by CD8⁺ T cells in Gal-1⁻/⁻ mice compared with WT mice. This study suggests that endogenous expression of Gal-1 contributes to graft survival. The results obtained from the use of mice deficient in Gal-1 also confirm a key role for CD8⁺ T cells in graft rejection.
authors.affiliation: MRC Centre for Transplantation, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.forename: Alistair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.forename: Kulachelvy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ratnasothy
authors.forename: Jian-Guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deltour
authors.forename: Maria-Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cuturi
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lechler
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D037483:Galectin 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D037483:Galectin 1; D020381:Interleukin-17; D007371:Interferon-gamma