Cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) is a natural compound that mobilizes calcium ions in several eukaryotic cells. Although it can lead to the release of calcium ions in T lymphocytes, it has not been firmly established as a second messenger in these cells. Here, using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, we show that stimulation of the T-cell receptor/CD3 (TCR/CD3) complex results in activation of a soluble ADP-ribosyl cyclase and a sustained increase in intracellular levels of cADPR. There is a causal relation between increased cADPR concentrations, sustained calcium signalling and activation of T cells, as shown by inhibition of TCR/CD3-stimulated calcium signalling, cell proliferation and expression of the early- and late-activation markers CD25 and HLA-DR by using cADPR antagonists. The molecular target for cADPR, the type-3 ryanodine receptor/calcium channel, is expressed in T cells. Increased cADPR significantly and specifically stimulates the apparent association of [3H]ryanodine with the type-3 ryanodine receptor, indicating a direct modulatory effect of cADPR on channel opening. Thus we show the presence, causal relation and biological significance of the major constituents of the cADPR/calcium-signalling pathway in human T cells.

Ca2+ release from intracellular stores is one of the major events transducing extracellular signals into living cells. Recently, a metabolite of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide+ (NAD+), termed "cyclic adenosine diphosphate-ribose" (cADPr), has been described to release Ca2+ from caffeine-sensitive internal stores of cells. Jurkat T cells possess intracellular Ca2+ stores sensitive to caffeine, so a potential involvement of cADPr in Ca2+ signaling was investigated. cADPr released Ca2+ in a dose-dependent manner from intracellular stores of permeabilized Jurkat T cells. Half maximal release was obtained at 2.25 microM cADPr. Prior addition of D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) or thapsigargin did not influence cADPr-induced Ca2+ release, indicating the presence of different Ca2+ pools sensitive to Ins(1,4,5)P3 and cADPr. The specificity of the response was confirmed using the inhibitors ruthenium red, 8-NH2-cADPr, and 8-Br-cADPr. All three compounds blocked cADPr-induced, but not Ins(1,4,5)P3-induced, Ca2+ release in a dose-dependent manner. Cyclic GMP (cGMP)-induced Ca2+ release was also partly antagonized by ruthenium red, indicating involvement of a cGMP-dependent step in the formation of cADPr. The presence of endogenous cADPr was analyzed directly by HPLC. Sequential separation on strong anion exchange HPLC and reverse-phase, ion-pair HPLC resulted in a single symmetric peak co-eluting with standard cADPr. The identity of this endogenous material was further confirmed by its ability to release Ca2+ in saponin-permeabilized Jurkat T cells.