It is well established that sustained increases in cyclic AMP (cAMP) such as those triggered by forskolin inhibit T cell activation. We describe here an unexpected phenomenon: in T cells, a transient cAMP increase triggered by the interaction with a dendritic cell strongly potentiates T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. We discovered this effect by examining the molecular basis of the adhesion-dependent sensitization of T cells. T cell adhesion caused extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation, which was necessary for the sensitization process. T cell sensitization could be mimicked in suspended cells by the uncaging of caged cAMP upon ultraviolet illumination. Calcium responses occurring in T cells upon interaction with dendritic cells were strongly inhibited when protein kinase A activation was blocked. Thus, whereas sustained cAMP increases are well known to inhibit TCR signaling, transient cAMP increases occurring physiologically upon formation of an immunological synapse facilitate antigen detection.

The requirement of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-induced CCR5 activation for infection by R5 HIV type 1 (HIV-1) strains remains controversial. Ectopic CCR5 expression in CD4؉ -transformed cells or pharmacological inhibition of G ␣ i proteins coupled to CCR5 left unsolved whether CCR5-dependent cell activation is necessary for the HIV life cycle. In this study, we investigated the role played by HIV-induced CCR5-dependent cell signaling during infection of primary CD4-expressing leukocytes. Using lentiviral vectors, we restored CCR5 expression in T lymphocytes and macrophages from individuals carrying the homozygous 32-bp deletion of the CCR5 gene (ccr5 ⌬32/⌬32). Expression of wild-type (wt) CCR5 in ccr5 ⌬32/⌬32 cells permitted infection by R5 HIV isolates. We assessed the capacity of a CCR5 derivative carrying a mutated DRY motif (CCR5-R126N) in the second intracellular loop to work as an HIV-1 coreceptor. The R126N mutation is known to disable G protein coupling and agonist-induced signal transduction through CCR5 and other G proteincoupled receptors. Despite its inability to promote either intracellular calcium mobilization or cell chemotaxis, the inactive CCR5-R126N mutant provided full coreceptor function to several R5 HIV-1 isolates in primary cells as efficiently as wt CCR5. We conclude that in a primary, CCR5-reconstituted CD4 ؉ cell environment, G protein signaling is dispensable for R5 HIV-1 isolates to actively infect primary CD4 ؉ T lymphocytes or macrophages.

The activation antigen CD38, which has NAD+ glycohydrolase activity in its extracellular domain, is expressed by a large variety of cell types. Few investigations into the regulation of CD38 expression by physiologic stimuli have been reported. As the CD38 promoter contains potential binding sites for interferon (IFN) regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1), we investigated the influence of IFN type I (alpha and beta) and type II (gamma) on CD38 gene expression of leukemic B cells. Using the IFN-responsive B cell line Eskol, we found by RT-PCR analysis a rapid time-dependent induction in CD38 mRNA (starting at 6 h) with each type of IFN. This induction was independent of protein synthesis, suggesting that CD38 gene activation does not require IRF-1 but is merely under direct transcriptional regulation by latent IFN-inducible factors. mRNA stimulation was followed within 24 h by induction of membrane CD38, which coincided with rises of CD38-specific ectoenzymatic activities, that is, NAD+ glycohydrolase, (A/G)DP-ribosyl cyclase, and cyclic ADP ribose hydrolase activities. IFN failed to induce or upregulate the other CD38-related ectoenzymes analyzed, that is, CD39, CD73, CD157, and PC-1. Similarly, treatment of leukemic cells of patients with B chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) with IFN resulted in an increase in CD38 mRNA mirrored by plasma membrane upregulation of CD38 and NAD+ glycohydrolase activity. Further investigation in relation to CD38 gene activation and B-CLL behavior remains to be defined.