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Complete lack of function of the tyrosine kinase ZAP70 in humans results in a severe immunodeficiency, characterized by a lack of mature CD8(+) T cells and non-functional CD4(+) T cells. We report herein an immunodeficiency with an inherited hypomorphic mutation of ZAP70 due to a single G-to-A substitution in a non-coding intron. This mutation introduces a new acceptor splice site and allows low levels of normal alternative splicing and of WT ZAP70 expression. This partial deficiency results in a compromised TCR signaling that was totally restored by increased expression of ZAP70, demonstrating that defective activation of the patient T cells was indeed caused by the low level of ZAP70 expression. This partial ZAP70 deficiency was associated with an attenuated clinical and immunological phenotype as compared with complete ZAP70 deficiency. CD4(+) helper T-cell populations including, follicular helper T cells, Th1, Th17 and Treg were detected in the blood. Finally, the patient had no manifestation of autoimmunity suggesting that the T-cell tolerogenic functions were not compromised, in contrast to what has been observed in mice carrying hypomorphic mutations of Zap70. This report extends the phenotype spectrum of ZAP70 deficiency with a residual function of ZAP70.

We have previously shown that binding of anti-CD4 antibody inhibit LFA-1-dependent adhesion between CD4+ T cells and B cells in a p56(lck) and a PI3-kinase-dependent manner. In this work, we investigated with two different T cell lines (Jurkat and A201) whether CD4 binding could alter interactions of the proteins putatively involved in this adhesion regulatory pathway. Anti-CD4 binding was shown to induce a transient association between PI3-kinase and LFA-1, which took place in different regions of the plasma membrane. It was detected in detergent soluble membrane but also in detergent insoluble membrane consisting in raft microdomains, composed of GM1 and/or GM3 gangliosides. These results show that anti-CD4 Ab could modify the interaction between LFA-1 and signaling molecules, such as PI3-kinase and induce, in part, their recruitment in raft domains. By using specific inhibitors, raft integrity and CD4 association with GM3 were found necessary for observing the CD4-dependent inhibition of LFA-1-mediated adhesion. These results strongly suggest that these molecular rearrangements in the membrane are necessary to induce down-regulation of LFA-1-mediated adhesion.

We have previously shown that CD4 ligands inhibit interleukin-2 (IL-2) production and T cell proliferation in human peripheral CD4+ T lymphocytes, in an MHC-independent way. Two major pathways implicated in T cell activation are inhibited by binding of CD4 ligands to the CD4 molecule, i.e. Ca2+ signaling by phospholipase Cgamma1 (PLCgamma1), and ERK-2 activation, suggesting a p21ras inhibition. We have correlated these inhibitions with the disruption of multifunctional complexes containing PLCgamma1, p120GAP and Sam68, induced by T cell activation. We report here that T cell activation through the TCR/CD3 induces an association of the phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3 kinase) with PLCgamma1, both in peripheral CD4+ T lymphocytes and the HUT-78 CD4+ T cell line. PI3 kinase is present in the multifunctional complexes that we have described previously. Preincubation of human peripheral CD4+ T cells and HUT-78 CD4+ T cells with gp160 or a peptide analogue of the HLA class II DR molecule precludes the association of PLCgamma1 with PI3 kinase. We also demonstrate, using two specific inhibitors of PI3 kinase activity (LY294002 and wortmannin), that this activity plays a key role in the association of PLCgamma1 with PI3 kinase. Moreover, we demonstrate the implication of the PI3 kinase activity in the negative signal mediated by HIV gp160 binding to CD4 molecules. We propose that the products of the PI3 kinase are important mediators of the negative signaling induced by the binding of CD4 ligands to the CD4 molecule implicated in the regulation of the formation of multifunctional complexes.

Human immunodeficiency virus binds to CD4+ T lymphocyte by the interaction, in part, between its gp120 envelope glycoprotein and the CD4 molecule. We and others have reported that the lipid kinase phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3-kinase) is associated with the CD4-p56lck complex and can be activated by various CD4 ligands. In a previous report we showed that the gp160 envelope down-regulates lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1)-dependent adhesion between CD4+ T cells and B cells. This down-regulation was shown to be p56lck-dependent. Here we investigate the role of PI3-kinase in the inhibition of adhesion induced by gp160 binding to CD4. We found that gp160 activates the PI3-kinase of HUT78 CD4+ T cell lines in a way dependent on CD4-p56lck association, since no activation was detected when the interaction between CD4 and p56lck was disrupted. It was also shown, using different inhibitors of the PI3-kinase (wortmannin, Ly294002 and antisense oligonucleotides), that this lipid kinase was necessary for the down-regulation of LFA-1-mediated adhesion induced by gp160. These results strongly suggest that PI3-kinase activation induced by gp160 leads to down-regulation of LFA-1-mediated T cell adhesion to B cells. Inhibition by gp160 of cytoskeleton rearrangement-dependent, anti-CD3-mediated T cell adhesion to B cells was blocked by neutralization of PI3-kinase activity, while inhibition of cytoskeleton rearrangement-independent, Mg(2+)-induced T cell adhesion was not. These results emphasize the role of PI3-kinase in the regulation of cytoskeleton structure. It is proposed that gp160 activates both p56lck and PI3-kinase which lead to a cytoskeleton organization unfavorable for LFA-1 function.

Antigen-independent adhesion of resting adult CD4+ CD45RO+ T cells to B lymphocytes has been shown to be transient and can be down-regulated by CD4 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecule interactions. Conversely, adhesion of adult CD4+ CD45RA+ subpopulation to B cells is not regulated by ligands of CD4. We have investigated the regulation of adhesion of cord blood CD45RA+ CD4+ T lymphocytes. In contrast to adult CD45RA+ CD4+ T cells, cord blood CD45RA+ CD4+ T cells were strongly sensitive to the down-regulation of adhesion mediated by the CD4-HLA class II interaction, since adhesion to MHC class II(+) B cells was transient and inhibited by an anti-CD4 antibody. In addition, human immunodeficiency virus gp160, synthetic gp106-derived peptides encompassing a CD4 binding site inhibited conjugate formation between cord blood CD45RA+ CD4+ T cells and B cells. Following activation of the cord blood CD4 T cells by an anti-CD3 antibody, a conversion from a transient to a stable adhesion pattern of cord blood CD4 T cells to B cells occurred in 2 days. The reversal to a transient adhesion occurred at day 8 following anti-CD3 activation in correlation with a complete shift to a CD45RO phenotype of the cord blood CD4 T cells. These data suggest that CD4 T cell adhesion can be developmentally regulated.

Human immunodeficiency virus binds to CD4 T lymphocytes by interaction between its envelope glycoprotein gp120 and the CD4 molecule. The latter is non-covalently associated with a src-related tyrosine kinase, p56lck. CD4 cross-linking increases the activity of p56lck, leading to phosphorylation of several cellular substrates. We report here that gp160/120 increases both the autophosphorylation of p56lck and its enzymatic activity (reflected by phosphorylation of an exogenous substrate) in normal T cells and the HUT78 CD4+ T cell line. This effect was detectable 5 min after activation and persisted for 40 min in normal T cells. It did not require gp120 cross-linking and was associated with phosphorylation of tyrosine residue on several proteins, as shown by phosphotyrosine Western blot analysis. The pattern of proteins phosphorylated on tyrosine residues in response to gp120 activation was distinct from that induced by anti-CD4 antibodies. p56lck activation required its association with CD4, since p56lck activity was not modified in HUT78 T cell lines expressing a truncated or mutated form of CD4 unable to associate with p56lck. Peptides mimicking residues 418 to 434 and 449 to 464 of HIV-1 Bru gp120, regions known to participate in gp120 binding to CD4, also increased p56lck activity and triggered phosphorylation of similar substrates. Taken together, these results show that gp160/120 and derived peptides can transiently increase p56lck activity without the need for CD4 cross-linking. This activation led to a specific pattern of tyrosine phosphorylation on cellular proteins that may be of significance in the biological effects of the gp120/CD4 interaction, e.g. syncytium formation and inhibition of T cell activation.

Heterotypic adhesion of T lymphocytes to monocytes, B lymphocytes, or other target cells is mainly mediated by LFA-1 and CD2 molecules. Low-affinity binding of resting T cells can be transiently up-regulated by cross-linking of CD3. We have previously found that binding of specific ligands to CD4 can down-regulate adhesion of resting T cells to B cells. We now show that the enhanced adhesiveness of CD4+ T cells induced by CD3 cross-linking using plastic-bound anti-CD3 antibody can also be inhibited by several CD4 ligands. i.e. anti-CD4 antibodies, the gp160 env protein of human immunodeficiency virus, as well as by putative CD4 ligands, i.e. synthetic peptides analogous to the gp160-binding site to CD4 (positions 418-434 and 449-464) and a 12-mer synthetic peptide (DR-12) analogous to positions 35-46 of HLA class II beta subunit and including the highly conserved Arg-Phe-Asp-Ser (RFDS) sequence. After CD3 cross-linking, maximal binding of T cells to HLA class II-positive and -negative B cells was similar, although binding to HLA class II-negative B cells was more prolonged. T cells that were passively induced to up-regulate adhesion by binding of a CD11a-specific antibody NKIL16, known to enhance LFA-1-dependent adhesiveness, were less sensitive to the inhibitory effect of the DR-12 peptide, whereas the inhibitory effects of gp160 were preserved. The kinetics of adhesion of NKIL16-pretreated T cells was not influenced by HLA class II expression at the B cell surface. Together, these results strongly suggest that CD4-HLA class II interaction may down-regulate low-affinity adhesion of resting T cells and, to some extent, high-affinity adhesion of T cells actively induced by CD3 cross-linking but not passively induced by an anti-CD11a antibody.

Antigen-independent adhesion of CD4+ T lymphocytes to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed B cells is mediated by CD2/lymphocyte function-associated antigen (LFA)-3 and LFA-1/intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1. Although some anti-CD4 antibodies block the antigen-independent adhesion of CD4+ T lymphocytes, the CD4-HLA class II interaction does not appear to significantly contribute to the forces of cell adhesion since CD4+ T cells equally bind HLA class II+ and HLA class II- mutant B cells. In addition, conjugates formed between CD4+ T cells and HLA class II- B cells remain stable for at least 1 h while CD4+T/HLA class II+ B cell conjugate percentages promptly drop off. Down-regulation of CD4 or spontaneous low expression of CD4 also results in a persistance of conjugates formed with B cells. The role of the CD4-HLA class II interaction has been further studied by investigating the inhibitory effect of synthetic 12-mer peptides analogous to HLA class II and containing the Arg-Phe-Asp-Ser sequence conserved in the beta 1 domain. These peptides were previously found to inhibit HLA class II-restricted T cell responses, this sequence being thought to be involved in CD4-HLA class II interaction. These peptides block conjugate formation of CD4+ resting T cells or clones but not of CD8+ T cells, by interacting with the T cells as shown by preincubation experiments. Down-regulation of CD4 or spontaneous low expression results in the loss of the inhibitory activity. The peptide-mediated inhibition is neutralized by a soluble dimeric CD4 molecule. Alteration within the Arg-Phe-Asp-Ser sequence results in a significant loss of inhibition. It is thus proposed that the CD4-HLA class II interaction negatively regulates antigen-independent adhesion of T cells, this interaction involving the highly conserved Arg-Phe-Asp-Ser sequence in the HLA class II beta 1 sequence as a CD4-binding site.

The functional role of the LFA-1 molecule in the interaction between helper T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes was investigated using lymphocytes from patients with leukocyte adhesion deficiency, an inherited immunodeficiency characterized by a defective leukocyte expression of the LFA-1, Mac-1 (CR3) and p150,95 molecules. The ability of LFA-1- T lymphocytes to provide antigen-specific help for HLA-identical LFA-1+ B lymphocytes was reduced while their antigen-specific activation was normal. Antigen-independent conjugate formation between resting, nonactivated LFA-1- T lymphocytes and LFA-1+ B lymphocytes was impaired while LFA-1- B lymphocytes bound LFA-1+ T lymphocytes normally. Conjugate formation of activated LFA-1- T lymphocytes was mostly mediated by the CD2-LFA-3 adhesion pathway while the ICAM-1 molecule, a ligand of LFA-1, had no function. These results demonstrate that LFA-1 plays a major role in the cognate interaction between helper T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes that cannot be mediated instead by CD2 or other molecules on resting T lymphocytes.