The polarity protein Par1b/EMK/MARK2 regulates T cell receptor-induced microtubule-organizing center polarization

J Immunol. 2009 Jul 15;183(2):1215-21. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.0803887. Epub 2009 Jun 24.

Abstract

Engagement of a T cell to an APC induces the formation of an immunological synapse as well as reorientation of the microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) toward the APC. How signals emanating from the TCR induce MTOC polarization is not known. One group of proteins known to play a critical role in asymmetric cell division and cell polarization is the partitioning defective (Par) family of proteins. In this study we found that Par1b, a member of the Par family of proteins, was inducibly phosphorylated following TCR stimulation. This phosphorylation resulted in 14-3-3 protein binding and caused the relocalization of Par1b from the membrane into the cytoplasm. Because a dominant-negative form of Par1b blocked TCR-induced MTOC polarization, our data suggest that Par1b functions in the establishment of T cell polarity following engagement to an APC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 14-3-3 Proteins / metabolism
  • Antigen Presentation
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Polarity*
  • Humans
  • Immunological Synapses
  • Jurkat Cells
  • Microtubule-Organizing Center / physiology*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / physiology*
  • Protein Transport
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / immunology
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • 14-3-3 Proteins
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • MARK2 protein, human
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases