ATP release and autocrine signaling through P2X4 receptors regulate ?? T cell activation.

ABSTRACT: Purinergic signaling plays a key role in a variety of physiological functions, including regulation of immune responses. Conventional ?? T cells release ATP upon TCR cross-linking; ATP binds to purinergic receptors expressed by these cells and triggers T cell activation in an autocrine and paracrine manner. Here, we studied whether similar purinergic signaling pathways also operate in the "unconventional" ?? T lymphocytes. We observed that ?? T cells purified from peripheral human blood rapidly release ATP upon in vitro stimulation with anti-CD3/CD28-coated beads or IPP. Pretreatment of ?? T cells with (10)panx-1, CBX, or Bf A reversed the stimulation-induced increase in extracellular ATP concentration, indicating that panx-1, connexin hemichannels, and vesicular exocytosis contribute to the controlled release of cellular ATP. Blockade of ATP release with (10)panx-1 inhibited Ca(2+) signaling in response to TCR stimulation. qPCR revealed that ?? T cells predominantly express purinergic receptor subtypes A2a, P2X1, P2X4, P2X7, and P2Y11. We found that pharmacological inhibition of P2X4 receptors with TNP-ATP inhibited transcriptional up-regulation of TNF-? and IFN-? in ?? T cells stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28-coated beads or IPP. Our data thus indicate that purinergic signaling via P2X4 receptors plays an important role in orchestrating the functional response of circulating human ?? T cells.

SUBMITTER: Manohar M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3441317 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature