1. Synergy between T cell Receptor and Fas (CD95/APO-1) signaling in mouse thymocyte death.
- Author
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Fisher GH, Lenardo MJ, and Zuniga-Pflucker JC
- Subjects
- Animals, Cells, Cultured, Female, Mice, T-Lymphocytes pathology, Apoptosis, Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell metabolism, Second Messenger Systems, Signal Transduction, T-Lymphocytes metabolism, fas Receptor metabolism
- Abstract
Administration of anti-TCR/CD3epsilon antibody in vivo or in thymic organ culture results in the apoptotic death of CD4+/CD8+ thymocytes. In contrast, purified thymocytes in suspension culture are resistant to TCR/CD3epsilon-induced apoptotic death. We show that induction of thymocyte death, in suspension culture, can be induced by the combination of TCR/CD3epsilon and Fas (CD95/Apo-1) signaling. No significant thymocyte death was observed after in vitro Fas cross-linking unless TCR/CD3epsilon was simultaneously co-cross-linked or metabolic inhibitors such as actinomycin D were added. Furthermore, TCR/CD3epsilon and Fas synergy did not operate through upregulation of Fas but by facilitation of the Fas-mediated death signal. Both TCRmid/lo/HSAhi/CD4+/CD8+ (double positive) and TCRhi/HSAlo/CD4+/CD8- or CD4-/CD8+ (single positive) thymocytes were susceptible to death induced by co-cross-linking of TCR/CD3epsilon and Fas. Our results reveal a signaling synergy between the Fas and TCR/CD3epsilon complex that has important implications for our understanding of in vivo vs in vitro models of thymocyte deletion.
- Published
- 1996
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