The constitutive interaction between the P1 domain (a 67-amino-acid functional domain within the proline-rich region) of SLP76 and the SH3 domain of phospholipase Cc1 (PLCc1) has been shown. To determine the significance of the interaction between SLP76 and PLCc1 in resting T cells, we examined molecules associated with PLCc1 in the absence of both SLP76 and, more specifically, the P1 domain of SLP76. Using a mutant Jurkat T-cell line, we showed that PLCc1 associated with LAT when the constitutive association with SLP76 was blocked. We also found that the PLCc1 association with LAT occurred in the membranes of resting T cells. Further experiments demonstrated that LAT competed with SLP76 for PLCc1 binding and that the LAT interaction with PLCc1 was mediated by the SH3 domain of PLCc1. Collectively, these results suggest that the constitutive association of SLP76 with PLCc1 is required to prevent the association with LAT as well as the premature recruitment of PLCc1 to the cell membrane.Key words: LAT . Phospholipase Cc1 . SSLP76 . Signalling . T cell
IntroductionEngagement of the TCR triggers a complex cascade of signaling events leading to T-cell activation. A key initial event in the T-cell signaling pathway is tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of PLCg1 (phospholipase Cg1) [1,2]. TCR signaling pathways activate Src-, Syk-, and Tek-family protein tyrosine kinases that induce phosphorylation of many proteins including PLCg1 [3,4]. The adaptor proteins LAT linker for activation of T cells, SLP76 (Src homology 2-domain-containing leukocyte protein of 76 kDa), and Gads (Grb2-related adaptor downstream of Shc) appear to constitute an integrated signaling unit that couples TCR-mediated activation of cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinases to PLCg1 enzyme activation [5,6].LAT is a transmembrane adaptor protein containing two palmitoylated cysteine residues proximal to the transmembrane domain that is constitutively localized to specialized membrane microdomains known as glycosphingolipid-enriched membrane domains (GEM), lipid rafts, or detergent-insoluble membrane domains [7,8]. LAT is heavily tyrosine-phosphorylated upon TCR stimulation, creating binding motifs for proteins containing Src homology (SH) 2 domains [8,9]. The N-terminal SH2 domain of PLCg1 binds to LAT phospho-tyrosine 132 (pY 132 ) and this interaction recruits PLCg1 to the GEM, leading to TCR-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and enzyme activation [10][11][12]. However, LAT is unable to activate PLCg1 in the absence of SLP76, which is indirectly recruited to LAT via Gads [13,14].SLP76 consists of three domains that mediate interactions with many proteins, leading to activation of TCR-mediated signaling pathways. An N-terminal acidic domain containing three tyrosine phosphorylation sites and a central proline-rich region containing the Gads-binding sites are indispensable for PLCg1 activation [15]. A functionally important 67 amino acid segment within the proline-rich region of SLP76, denoted the P1 region, binds to the SH3 domain of PLCg1 in re...