cThe clinical potential of transplantation is often reduced by T cell-mediated alloresponses that cause graft rejection or graft-versus-host disease. Integrin-mediated adhesion between alloreactive T cells and antigen-presenting cells is essential for allorejection. The identity of the signaling events needed for the activation of integrins such as LFA-1 is poorly understood. Here, we identified a novel role of the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 in the regulation of murine LFA-1-mediated adhesion in an allograft setting. Upon alloactivation, SHP-1 activity is reduced, resulting in an increase in LFA-1 adhesion compared to that for syngeneically activated T cells. The importance of these differential activation properties was further indicated by small interfering RNA ( R ecipient-derived antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are pivotal for the induction of alloresponses (1). In patients, alloresponses cause significant treatment-related morbidity and mortality, such as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) or graft rejection. Alloreactive T cells are largely responsible for these detrimental effects (2). In this context, T cell function depends on integrinmediated adhesion and migration.The 2 integrins are preferentially expressed among the 12 integrins on lymphocytes. Of these, ␣L2 (leukocyte functionassociated antigen 1 [LFA-1], also termed CD11a [␣L chain of LFA-1]-CD18 [2 chain of LFA-1]) binds to the ligands ICAM-1, -2, and -3 (intracellular adhesion molecules 1, 2, and 3). The ligands ICAM-1 and -2 are expressed on endothelial cells that line blood vessels on the surface of APCs (3). Following the initial adhesive interaction between potentially alloreactive T cells and allogeneic APCs such as dendritic cells (DCs), LFA-1 facilitates the stable formation of the "immunological synapse," which enhances T cell activation and subsequent effector functions (4, 5). Hence, LFA-1 has emerged as an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases (6). Immunosuppressive effects induced by LFA-1 antagonists are of substantial interest, since ligation of a T cell receptor (TCR) generates intracellular signals leading to activation of LFA-1-mediated cell adhesion, a process termed "inside-out" signaling. So far, the molecular processes underlying the signaling events between TCR activation and LFA-1 clustering are not fully understood. Adaptor proteins such as ADAP have been identified as key molecules in the TCR "inside-out" pathway (7), and their potential influence in T cell alloreactivity has been discussed (8).Here, we identified the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) SHP-1 as a key regulator of LFA-1-mediated adhesion in primary murine T cells, with particular involvement in alloactivation. We demonstrate for the first time in vitro and in vivo that SHP-1 activity is significantly reduced upon alloactivation, resulting in an increase in the allogeneic activation of T cells and their adhesion to major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-mismatched APCs. Furthermore, we found that SHP-1 ex...