B A Garni-Wagner

NK cells and IL-2-propagated splenic T cells mediate non-MHC-restricted cytotoxicity. The molecules involved in this process are not well defined. We describe a novel 66-kDa cell surface molecule called 2B4 that is expressed on cells that mediate non-MHC-restricted cytotoxicity. All resting and rIL-2 cultured NK cells and a significant number of T cells cultured in high doses of rIL-2 are 2B4+. In fresh as well as cultured spleen cells, all non-MHC-restricted cytotoxicity is contained within the 2B4+ population. In addition to defining cells capable of non-MHC-restricted killing, the 2B4 molecule is also involved in modulation of their function. In the presence of anti-2B4, the lytic activity of cultured NK cells and non-MHC-restricted T cells against a wide variety of FcR- and FcR+ targets is greatly augmented. Anti-2B4 is also able to transduce other signals in IL-2-activated NK cells such as IFN-gamma secretion and granule exocytosis. In addition, 2B4+ T cells can specifically lyse the 2B4 hybridoma cells. Unlike many other activation and adhesion molecules (such as murine CD2, LFA-1, and CD16), 2B4 expression is restricted to cells that mediate NK-like killing. Conversely, highly activated T cells that do not express 2B4 do not mediate non-MHC-restricted killing. Together these data suggest that the 2B4 molecule is likely to be a part of a receptor complex or a component of signal-transducing complex on cells that mediate non-MHC-restricted killing.

We have recently described a signal transducing molecule, 2B4, expressed on all NK and T cells that mediate non-MHC-restricted killing. The gene encoding this molecule was cloned and its nucleotide sequence determined. The encoded protein of 398 amino acids has a leader peptide of 18 amino acids and a transmembrane region of 24 amino acids. The predicted protein has eight N-linked glycosylation sites, suggesting that it is highly glycosylated. Comparison of 2B4 with sequences in the databanks indicates that 2B4 is a member of Ig supergene family, and it shows homology to murine and rat CD48 and human LFA-3. Northern blot analysis has shown at least three transcripts for 2B4 in adherent lymphokine-activated killer cells of several mouse strains and TCR-gamma/delta dendritic epidermal T cell lines but not in allospecific T cell clones. These three mRNA are the products of differential splicing of heterogeneous nuclear RNA. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA from several mouse strains revealed that 2B4 belongs to a family of closely related genes. The 2B4 gene has been mapped to mouse chromosome 1 by analysis of 2B4 expression in recombinant inbred mouse strains.

The alpha 2-macroglobulin receptor/low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (alpha 2MR/LRP) binds several ligands, including complex between the two chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and type-1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), and the single chain zymogen pro-urokinase (pro-uPA). We have used truncated variants of uPA and PAI-1 as well as Fab fragments of monoclonal antibodies with known epitopes to identify regions in the uPA.PAI-1 complex and in pro-uPA involved in binding to alpha 2MR/LRP.uPA.PAI-1 complex bound with high affinity (EC50 about 0.4 nM) via contacts in the PAI-1 moiety as well as the uPA serine proteinase domain and the uPAA chain. Pro-uPA bound with lower affinity (EC50 about 10 nM), and efficient binding to alpha 2MR/LRP was dependent on contact with both the A chain and the serine proteinase domain. We analyzed the effect of complex formation with the urokinase receptor since this is the primary target for binding of uPA.PAI-1 and pro-uPA at the cell surface, and since it has been demonstrated that urokinase receptor-bound uPA.PAI-1 complex is internalized following interaction with alpha 2 MR/LRP (Nykjaer, A., Petersen, C. M., Møller, B., Jensen, P.H., Moestrup, S.K., Holtet, T.L., Etzerodt M., Thøgersen, H.C., Munch, M., Andreasen, P.A., and Gliemann, J. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 14543-14546). Soluble recombinant urokinase receptor blocked the binding of pro-uPA to alpha 2MR/LRP but caused only a slight reduction in the affinity for binding of uPA.PAI-1. Moreover, pro-uPA bound to the urokinase receptor at the cell surface was not internalized and degraded unless activated to uPA and complexed with PAI-1. We conclude that pro-uPA is protected against degradation via alpha 2MR/LRP when bound to uPAR due to shielding of a binding contact in the A chain, whereas the affinity of uPAR-bound uPA.PAI-1 complex for binding to alpha 2MR/LRP remains sufficient to allow rapid internalization and degradation.

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), which binds to cells via a specific receptor (uPAR), participates in pericellular proteolysis during leukocyte migration. Previous studies have indicated that uPAR is physically associated with CR3 (CD11b/CD18). To test the functional interactions of CR3 and uPAR, we have examined the ability of uPA to elicit changes in cytosolic calcium levels of normal neutrophils, neutrophils from a leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) patient, and 3T3 transfectants expressing CR3, uPAR, or both. We found that calcium levels of neutrophils increased from 106 +/- 6 nM in untreated cells to 199 +/- 25 nM in the presence of uPA. In contrast, no significant change in calcium was observed when neutrophils from an leukocyte adhesion deficiency patient were examined. The uPA-dependent calcium rise was inhibited by mAb directed against either CR3 or uPAR and required intact uPA. To substantiate further these findings, we prepared transfectants expressing genes encoding uPAR, CR3, and both receptors; only cells expressing both receptors experienced a rise in intracellular calcium. Although uPA's calcium signal is insufficient to trigger superoxide production, FMLP dose-dependent superoxide production was greatly enhanced by incubating neutrophils with intact, but not fragmented, uPA. Flow cytometry experiments utilizing an FMLP analogue exclude the possibilities that urokinase binds to the FMLP receptor or up-regulates its expression. We suggest that calcium is a second messenger of uPA, that this message is mediated in a CR3-dependent fashion, and that this signal primes neutrophils for superoxide production.

The relationship between NK cell and T cell progenitors was investigated by using mice with severe combined immune deficiency (scid). Scid mice are devoid of mature T and B cells because they cannot rearrange their Ig and TCR genes. However, they have normal splenic NK cells. Thymus of scid mice, although markedly hypocellular, contains cells that lyse YAC-1, an NK-sensitive tumor cell. By flow cytometry, two populations of cells were identified in the scid thymus. Eighty percent of the cells were Thy-1+, IL-2R(7D4)+, J11d+, CD3-, CD4-, CD8- whereas the remaining were IL-2R-, J11d-, CD3-, CD4-, and CD8-. By cell sorting, all NK activity was found in the latter population, which is phenotypically similar to splenic NK cells. To determine if the thymus contains a bipotential NK/T progenitor cell, J11d+, IL-2R+ cells were cultured and analyzed for the generation of NK cells in vitro. These cells were used because they resemble 15-day fetal and adult CD4- CD8- thymocytes that are capable of giving rise to mature T cells. Cultured J11d+ thymocytes acquired non-MHC-restricted cytotoxicity, but in contrast to mature NK cells, the resulting cells contained mRNA for the gamma, delta, and epsilon-chains of CD3. This suggests that J11d+ cells are early T cells that can acquire the ability to kill in a non-MHC-restricted manner, but which do not give rise to NK cells in vitro. The differentiative potential of scid thymocytes was also tested in vivo. Unlike bone marrow cells, scid thymocytes containing 80% J11d+ cells failed to give rise to NK cells when transferred into irradiated recipients. Together these results suggest that mature NK cells reside in the thymus of scid mice but are not derived from a common NK/T progenitor.