Leukocytes rely on dynamic actindependent changes in cell shape to pass through blood vessels, which is fundamental to immune surveillance. WiskottAldrich Syndrome protein (WASp) is a hematopoietic cell-restricted cytoskeletal regulator important for modulating cell shape through Arp2/3-mediated actin polymerization. A recently identified WASp I294T mutation was shown to render WASp constitutively active in vivo, causing increased filamentous (F)-actin polymerization, high podosome turnover in macrophages, and myelodysplasia. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of WASp I294T expression in lymphocytes. Here, we report that lymphocytes isolated from a patient with WASp I294T , and in a cellular model of WASp I294T
IntroductionThe Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASp) is a key cytoskeletal regulator in hematopoietic cells. 1 Through its multidomain structure, WASp integrates inputs from disparate signaling pathways to initiate and regulate Arp2/3-mediated actin polymerization. This is important for the normal formation of various actin-rich structures including the T-cell immune synapse, phagocytic cups, and specialized adhesion structures called podosomes in myeloid cells. [2][3][4] The majority of human disease-causing mutations in WASp are hypomorphic or null loss of function mutations, which result in Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS). 5 Patients with WAS classically suffer from thrombocytopenia, eczema, and a broad immunodeficiency, reflecting the functional deficiency of almost all hematopoietic lineages.Recently, 3 novel human mutations (L270P, S272P, and I294T) leading to constitutive WASp activation have been reported to cause a distinct disease, X-linked neutropoenia (XLN). 6,7 All 3 are positioned in the GTPase binding domain (GBD; residues 230-288) of WASp and disrupt its autoinhibitory interaction with the Arp2/3 binding, C-terminal verprolin homology, central, acidic (VCA) domain. The result is enhanced and dysregulated WASp activity characterized by an increase in cellular filamentous (F)-actin and abnormalities of actin cytoskeletal structure and dynamics. A large kindred bearing the rare I294T mutation was recently reported, informing our understanding of the clinical spectrum of WASp I294T disease, which appears variable but is usually associated with neutropoenia and recurrent infections. 7,8 Although fatal infections have been described, infectious complications are surprisingly mild and not correlated with the degree of neutropoenia. 8 Other immunopathology is also seen, including low levels of CD4 and CD8 T cells, natural killer (NK) cell and B-cell lymphopenia, and reduced levels of IgA. To date, specific cellular effects have only been examined in myeloid cells, where defects of myelopoiesis and podosome formation have been reported. 7,9 Our aim in this report was to determine whether WASp I294T also attenuates aspects of lymphocyte function.The lymphocyte surface is dominated by microvilli: prominent actin-rich, fingerlike membrane projections involved in mediating cell-c...