EWI-2 association with α-actinin regulates T cell immune synapses and HIV viral infection

J Immunol. 2012 Jul 15;189(2):689-700. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1103708. Epub 2012 Jun 11.

Abstract

EWI motif-containing protein 2 (EWI-2) is a member of the Ig superfamily that links tetraspanin-enriched microdomains to the actin cytoskeleton. We found that EWI-2 colocalizes with CD3 and CD81 at the central supramolecular activation cluster of the T cell immune synapse. Silencing of the endogenous expression or overexpression of a cytoplasmic truncated mutant of EWI-2 in T cells increases IL-2 secretion upon Ag stimulation. Mass spectrometry experiments of pull-downs with the C-term intracellular domain of EWI-2 revealed the specific association of EWI-2 with the actin-binding protein α-actinin; this association was regulated by PIP2. α-Actinin regulates the immune synapse formation and is required for efficient T cell activation. We extended these observations to virological synapses induced by HIV and found that silencing of either EWI-2 or α-actinin-4 increased cell infectivity. Our data suggest that the EWI-2-α-actinin complex is involved in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton at T cell immune and virological synapses, providing a link between membrane microdomains and the formation of polarized membrane structures involved in T cell recognition.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actinin / metabolism*
  • Actinin / physiology
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antigen Presentation / immunology
  • Antigens, CD / metabolism*
  • Antigens, CD / physiology
  • Cell Line, Transformed
  • Cytoskeleton / immunology
  • Cytoskeleton / pathology
  • Cytoskeleton / virology
  • HIV Infections / immunology*
  • HIV Infections / metabolism*
  • HIV Infections / pathology
  • HIV-1 / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunological Synapses / metabolism*
  • Immunological Synapses / pathology
  • Immunological Synapses / virology*
  • Jurkat Cells
  • Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
  • Membrane Microdomains / immunology
  • Membrane Microdomains / pathology
  • Membrane Microdomains / virology
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Membrane Proteins / physiology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / pathology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / virology*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • IGSF8 protein, human
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Actinin