Antigen receptor engagement delivers a stop signal to migrating T lymphocytes.

Journal article

We investigated the role of the T cell antigen receptor (TcR) in control of T cell migration in an in vitro system. We used T cells from transgenic mice bearing a TcR for the lysozyme peptide 48-62 bound to I-A(k) (3A9). T cells from the 3A9 TcR transgenic mice crawled on purified intercellular adhesion molecule-1 substrates, but strikingly, stopped upon interaction with the physiological ligand, i.e., the mouse I-A(k) with covalently attached hen egg white lysozyme peptide residues 48-62 complex. TcR-triggered stopping was reversible by treatment with adhesion-strengthening phorbol esters. The microtubule organizing center of stopped cells was positioned adjacent to the site of stable cell anchorage. Direct conversion of lymphocyte function associated-1 to the high-affinity conformation with antibodies also stopped T cells in a similar manner to antigen. Thus, physiological TcR engagement triggers a stop signal through lymphocyte function associated-1. We propose that the stop signal is an early and essential event in T cell activation that also will play an important role in control of T cell migration.

Authors: Dustin, M; Bromley, S; Kan, Z; Peterson, D; Unanue, E

• Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
• Volume: 94
• Issue: 8
• Pages: 3909-3913
• Publication date: 1997-04-01
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.94.8.3909
• EISSN: 1091-6490
• ISSN: 0027-8424
• Language: English
• Keywords: Animals; Signal Transduction; T-Lymphocytes; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Cell Movement