1. Grb2 Is Important for T Cell Development, Th Cell Differentiation, and Induction of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis
- Author
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Lars Nitschke, Nadine Szumilas, Daniel Radtke, Sonja M. Lacher, Elisabeth Zinser, Jochen A. Ackermann, and Lena Sandrock
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0301 basic medicine ,Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental ,T cell ,Immunology ,Mice, Transgenic ,Biology ,Lymphocyte Activation ,Mice ,03 medical and health sciences ,Interleukin 21 ,0302 clinical medicine ,T-Lymphocyte Subsets ,medicine ,Animals ,Immunology and Allergy ,Cytotoxic T cell ,Lymphocyte Count ,IL-2 receptor ,Antigen-presenting cell ,GRB2 Adaptor Protein ,Mice, Knockout ,CD40 ,ZAP70 ,Cell Differentiation ,Dendritic Cells ,Natural killer T cell ,Cell biology ,Disease Models, Animal ,030104 developmental biology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,biology.protein ,Cytokines ,Th17 Cells ,biological phenomena, cell phenomena, and immunity ,030215 immunology - Abstract
The small adaptor protein growth factor receptor–bound protein 2 (Grb2) modulates and integrates signals from receptors on cellular surfaces in inner signaling pathways. In murine T cells, Grb2 is crucial for amplification of TCR signaling. T cell–specific Grb2fl/fl Lckcretg Grb2-deficient mice show reduced T cell numbers due to impaired negative and positive selection. In this study, we found that T cell numbers in Grb2fl/fl CD4cretg mice were normal in the thymus and were only slightly affected in the periphery. Ex vivo analysis of CD4+ Th cell populations revealed an increased amount of Th1 cells within the CD4+ population of Grb2fl/fl CD4cretg mice. Additionally, Grb2-deficient T cells showed a greater potential to differentiate into Th17 cells in vitro. To test whether these changes in Th cell differentiation potential rendered Grb2fl/fl CD4cretg mice more prone to inflammatory diseases, we used the murine Th1 cell– and Th17 cell–driven model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). In contrast to our expectations, Grb2fl/fl CD4cretg mice developed a milder form of EAE. The impaired EAE disease can be explained by the reduced proliferation rate of Grb2-deficient CD4+ T cells upon stimulation with IL-2 or upon activation by allogeneic dendritic cells, because the activation of T cells by dendritic cells and the subsequent T cell proliferation are known to be crucial factors for the induction of EAE. In summary, Grb2-deficient T cells show defects in T cell development, increased Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation capacities, and impaired proliferation after activation by dendritic cells, which likely reduce the clinical symptoms of EAE.
- Published
- 2016
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