NR AUTL

AU Ballerini,C.; Gourdain,P.; Bachy,V.; Blanchard,N.; Levavasseur,E.; Gregoire,S.; Fontes,P.; Aucouturier,P.; Hivroz,C.; Carnaud,C.

TI Functional implication of cellular prion protein in antigen-driven interactions between T cells and dendritic cells

QU Journal of Immunology 2006 Jun 15; 176(12): 7254-62

PT journal article

AB The cellular prion protein (PrPc) is a host-encoded, GPI-anchored cell surface protein, expressed on a wide range of tissues including neuronal and lymphoreticular cells. PrPc may undergo posttranslational conversion, giving rise to scrapie PrP, the pathogenic conformer considered as responsible for prion diseases. Despite intensive studies, the normal function of PrPc is still enigmatic. Starting from microscope observations showing an accumulation of PrPc at the sites of contact between T cells and Ag-loaded dendritic cells (DC), we have studied the contribution of PrPc in alloantigen and peptide-MHC-driven T/DC interactions. Whereas the absence of PrPc on the DC results in a reduced allogeneic T cell response, its absence on the T cell partner has no apparent effect upon this response. Therefore, PrPc seems to fulfill different functions on the two cell partners forming the synapse. In contrast, PrPc mobilization by Ab reduces the stimulatory properties of DC and the proliferative potential of responding T cells. The contrasted consequences, regarding T cell function, between PrPc deletion and PrPc coating by Abs, suggests that the prion protein acts as a signaling molecule on T cells. Furthermore, our results show that the absence of PrPc has consequences in vivo also, upon the ability of APCs to stimulate proliferative T cell responses. Thus, independent of neurological considerations, some of the evolutionary constraints that may have contributed to the conservation of the Prnp gene in mammalians, could be of immunological origin.

MH Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Antigen Presentation/genetics; Cell Adhesion/immunology; Cell Communication/genetics/*immunology; Cell Differentiation/immunology; Cell Membrane/genetics/immunology/metabolism; Comparative Study; Dendritic Cells/cytology/*immunology/*metabolism; Female; H-Y Antigen/*physiology; Lymphocyte Activation/genetics; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Mice, Transgenic; Molecular Sequence Data; Prions/biosynthesis/genetics/*physiology; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; T-Lymphocyte Subsets/cytology/*immunology/*metabolism; Up-Regulation/genetics/immunology

AD Universite Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris6 and Unite Mixte de Recherche (UMR) Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) Unite (U)-712, Paris, France.

SP englisch

PO USA

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