Expression of functional trk tyrosine kinase receptors after T cell activation

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 152; no. 6; pp. 2705 - 2709
• Main Authors: Ehrhard, PB, Erb, P, Graumann, U, Schmutz, B, Otten, U
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Am Assoc Immnol 15-03-1994; American Association of Immunologists
• Subjects: Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Genes, fos; Humans; Immunobiology; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoid cells: ontogeny, maturation, markers, receptors, circulation and recirculation; Molecular Sequence Data; Nerve Growth Factors - pharmacology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - analysis; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - genetics; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - analysis; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - genetics; Receptor, trkA; Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor - analysis; Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor - genetics; RNA, Messenger - analysis; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Flow cytometry; T cell receptor; Enzyme; Transferases; Rodentia; Helper cell; Nerve growth factor; Gene expression; Antigen; Polymerase chain reaction; Signal transduction; Vertebrata; Membrane receptor; Mammalia; Mouse; C-Onc gene; T-Lymphocyte; Protein-tyrosine kinase; Protooncogene
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.152.6.2705

Increasing evidence indicates that nerve growth factor (NGF), in addition to its neurotrophic actions, exerts specific effects on cells of the immune system. This report show that the CD4-positive T cell line 9/6 expresses trk protooncogene, the signal transducing receptor unit for NGF, after TCR-mediated activation by Ag and APC. This receptor is of functional importance because interaction of NGF with Ag-stimulated 9/6 T cells induced the transcriptional activation of the c-fos gene, a hallmark of the biochemical response to NGF. Our findings that neither mitogen nor Ag stimulation induced the expression of the low affinity NGF receptor in 9/6 T cells indicate that trk alone is sufficient to mediate biologic activity of NGF in T lymphocytes.