Adenosine deaminase (ADA), a protein whose deficit leads to severe combined immunodeficiency, binds to the cell surface by means of either CD26, A 1 adenosine receptors, or A2B adenosine receptors. The physiological role of these interactions is not well understood. Our results show that by a 3-fold reduction in the EC 50 for the antigen, ADA potentiated T cell proliferation in autologous cocultures with antigen-pulsed immature or mature dendritic cells. Costimulation was not due to the enzymatic activity but to the interaction of ADA-CD26 complexes in T cells with an ADAanchoring protein in dendritic cells. From colocalization studies, it is deduced that ADA colocalizing with adenosine receptors on dendritic cells interact with CD26 expressed on lymphocytes. This costimulatory signal in the immunological synapse leads to a marked increase (3-to 34-fold) in the production of the T helper 1 and proimmflamatory cytokines IFN-␥, TNF-␣, and IL-6. adenosine deaminase ͉ costimulation ͉ immunosynapse A denosine deaminase (ADA; EC 3.5.4.4) an enzyme involved in purine metabolism, catalyzes the hydrolytic deamination of adenosine or 2Ј-deoxyadenosine to inosine or 2Ј-deoxyinosine and ammonia. Congenital defect of ADA causes severe combined immunodeficiency, which is characterized by the absence of functional T and B lymphocytes in affected individuals (1). For many years, ADA was considered to be cytosolic, but it has been found on the cell surface of many cell types; therefore, it can be considered an ectoenzyme. In addition, ecto-ADA has been proposed to have a catalytic-independent function as a costimulatory molecule in lymphocytes (2).So far, two types of surface anchoring proteins for ecto-ADA have been described. The first type, with only one member, is CD26, a multifunctional protein of 110 KDa strongly expressed on epithelial cells (kidney proximal tubules, intestine, and bile duct) and on several types of endothelial cells and fibroblasts and on leukocyte subsets (3-5). The second type of ecto-ADA-binding proteins includes the adenosine receptors (AR) A 1 (A 1 R) (6) and A 2B (A 2B R) (7). The association between ADA and CD26 on the T cell surface has been proposed to have a costimulatory function during T cell antigen receptor-CD3 complex engagement (2). Because CD26 has a short cytoplasmatic tail, it needs partners to transduce the signal. Ishii et al. (8) have described that CD26-mediated signaling occurs through its association with CD45RO. At present, it is not known whether ADA generates a signal when it binds to AR. However, we have previously demonstrated that ADA binding to A 1 R or A 2B R is required for high efficiency affinity binding of the agonist and for efficient agonist-dependent signaling (6, 7).Dendritic cells (DC) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells (APC) specialized in the initiation of immune responses by directing the activation and differentiation of naïve T lymphocytes (9, 10). Immature DC (iDC) reside in most tissues to uptake antigen; they are engaged when exposed to danger ...

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Neuroinflammation is involved in several neurodegenerative disorders and emerging evidence indicates that it constitutes a critical process that is required for the progression of neurodegeneration. Microglial activation constitutes a central event in neuroinflammation. Furthermore, microglia can not only be activated with an inflammatory and neurotoxic phenotype (M1-like phenotype), but they also can acquire a neurosupportive functional phenotype (M2-like phenotype) characterised by the production of anti-inflammatory mediators and neurotrophic factors. Importantly, during the past decade, several studies have shown that CD4+ T-cells infiltrate the central nervous system (CNS) in many neurodegenerative disorders, in which their participation has a critical influence on the outcome of microglial activation and consequent neurodegeneration. In this review, we focus on the analysis of the interplay of the different sub-populations of CD4+ T-cells infiltrating the CNS and how they participate in regulating the outcome of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the context of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis. In this regard, encephalitogenic inflammatory CD4+ T-cells, such as Th1, Th17, GM-CSF-producer CD4+ T-cells and γδT-cells, strongly contribute to chronic neuroinflammation, thus perpetuating neurodegenerative processes. In contrast, encephalitogenic or meningeal Tregs and Th2 cells decrease inflammatory functions in microglial cells and promote a neurosupportive microenvironment. Moreover, whereas some neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease involve the participation of inflammatory CD4+ T-cells 'naturally', the physiopathology of other neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is associated with the participation of anti-inflammatory CD4+ T-cells that delay the neurodegenerative process. Thus, current evidence supports the hypothesis that the involvement of CD4+ T-cells against CNS antigens constitutes a key component in regulating the progression of the neurodegenerative process.

Emerging evidence has demonstrated that CD4+ T cells infiltrate into the substantia nigra (SN) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and in animal models of PD. SN-infiltrated CD4+ T cells bearing inflammatory phenotypes promote microglial activation and strongly contribute to neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Importantly, altered expression of dopamine receptor D3 (D3R) in PBLs from PD patients has been correlated with disease severity. Moreover, pharmacological evidence has suggested that D3R is involved in IFN-γ production by human CD4+ T cells. In this study, we examined the role of D3R expressed on CD4+ T cells in neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the SN using a mouse model of PD. Our results show that D3R-deficient mice are strongly protected against loss of dopaminergic neurons and microglial activation during 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD. Notably, D3R-deficient mice become susceptible to MPTP-induced neurodegeneration and microglial activation upon transfer of wild-type (WT) CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, RAG1 knockout mice, which are devoid of T cells and are resistant to MPTP-induced neurodegeneration, become susceptible to MPTP-induced loss of dopaminergic neurons when reconstituted with WT CD4+ T cells but not when transferred with D3R-deficient CD4+ T cells. In agreement, experiments analyzing activation and differentiation of CD4+ T cells revealed that D3R favors both T cell activation and acquisition of the Th1 inflammatory phenotype. These findings indicate that D3R expressed on CD4+ T cells plays a fundamental role in the physiopathology of MPTP-induced PD in a mouse model.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are responsible for priming T cells and for promoting their differentiation from naive T cells into appropriate effector cells. Emerging evidence suggests that neurotransmitters can modulate T cell-mediated immunity. However, the involvement of specific neurotransmitters or receptors remains poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed the role of dopamine in the regulation of DC function. We found that DCs express dopamine receptors as well as the machinery necessary to synthesize, store, and degrade dopamine. Notably, the expression of D5R decreased upon LPS-induced DC maturation. Deficiency of D5R on the surface of DCs impaired LPS-induced IL-23 and IL-12 production and consequently attenuated the activation and proliferation of Ag-specific CD4+ T cells. To determine the relevance of D5R expressed on DCs in vivo, we studied the role of this receptor in the modulation of a CD4+ T cell-driven autoimmunity model. Importantly, D5R-deficient DCs prophylactically transferred into wild-type recipients were able to reduce the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Furthermore, mice transferred with D5R-deficient DCs displayed a significant reduction in the percentage of Th17 cells infiltrating the CNS without differences in the percentage of Th1 cells compared with animals transferred with wild-type DCs. Our findings demonstrate that by contributing to CD4+ T cell activation and differentiation to Th17 phenotype, D5R expressed on DCs is able to modulate the development of an autoimmune response in vivo.

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Adaptive immune responses begin after productive immunosynaptic contacts formation established in secondary lymphoid organs by dendritic cells (DC) presenting the Ag to T lymphocytes. Despite its resemblance to the neurosynapse, the participation of soluble small nonpeptidic mediators in the intercellular cross-talk taking place during T cell–DC interactions remains poorly studied. In this study, we show that human DC undergoing maturation and in contact with T cells release significant amounts of glutamate, which is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in mammalians. The release of glutamate is nonvesicular and mediated by the DC-expressed Xc− cystine/glutamate antiporter. DC-derived glutamate stimulating the constitutively expressed metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 impairs T cell activation. However, after productive Ag presentation, metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 is expressed in T cells to mediate enhanced T cell proliferation and secretion of Th1 and proinflammatory cytokines. These data suggest that, during T cell–DC interaction, glutamate is a novel and highly effective regulator in the initiation of T cell-mediated immune responses.

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR) are present in cells of the nervous system, where they are activated by one of the main neurotransmitters, glutamate. They are also expressed in cells outside the nervous system. We identified and characterized two receptors belonging to group I mGluR, mGlu1R and mGlu5R, in human cell lines of lymphoid origin and in resting and activated lymphocytes from human peripheral blood. Both are highly expressed in the human Jurkat T cell line, whereas mGlu5R is expressed only in the human B cell line SKW6.4. In blood lymphocytes, mGlu5R is expressed constitutively, whereas mGlu1R is expressed only upon activation via the T cell receptor-CD3 complex. Group I receptors in the central nervous system are coupled to phospholipase C, whereas in blood lymphocytes, activation of mGlu5R does not trigger this signaling pathway, but instead activates adenylate cyclase. On the other hand, mGlu5R does not mediate ERK1/2 activation, whereas mGlu1R, which is coupled neither to phospholipase C nor to calcium channels and whose activation does not increase cAMP, activates the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. The differential expression of mGluR in resting and activated lymphocytes and the different signaling pathways that are triggered when mGlu1Rs or mGlu5Rs are activated point to a key role of glutamate in the regulation of T cell physiological function. The study of the signaling pathways (cAMP production and ERK1/2 phosphorylation) and the proliferative response obtained in the presence of glutamate analogs suggests that mGlu1R and mGlu5R have distinct functions. mGlu5R mediates the reported inhibition of cell proliferation evoked by glutamate, which is reverted by the activation of inducible mGlu1R. This is a novel non-inhibitory action mechanism for glutamate in lymphocyte activation. mGlu1R and mGlu5R thus mediate opposite glutamate effects in human lymphocytes.There is increasing evidence that the activity of T cells in the central nervous system is regulated by neurotransmitters such as dopamine, gonadotropin-releasing hormones I and II, somatostatin, substance P, calcitonin-gene-related peptide, neuropeptide Y, and glutamate (1). The latter is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain involved in learning and memory, as well as in neurotoxicity, and plays a critical role in the development and progression of diverse neurological disorders. T cells can also encounter glutamate outside the brain, in "glutamate-rich" peripheral organs such as liver, kidney, lung, muscle, and blood. It is unknown whether glutamate can be released by antigen-presenting cells, thus regulating T cell activation in the immunological synapse (2).This amino acid acts at multiple receptor types, divided into two main groups: ionotropic glutamate receptors, which form ion channels and mediate fast excitatory glutamate responses, and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR), 1 which are hepta-spanning membrane-receptors and belong to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (3). So f...