SummarySpecific arrest of neutrophils in venules is central to their rapid accumulation during local inflammatory responses. Initial neutrophil rolling on endothelium is mediated by leukocyte L-selectin and the inducible vascular adhesion proteins P-and E-selectin. This rolling is a prerequisite for endothelial-dependent neutrophil arrest. Here we describe rolling of neutrophils on the surface of previously arrested neutrophils and demonstrate that this interaction involves L-selectin exclusively on rolling cells. The adherent neutrophil support of L-selectin-dependent neutrophil rolling in vivo can promote continuous and augmented leukocyte recruitment at sites of previous neutrophil accumulation.

Immobilized stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) has been shown to induce tight adhesion of T cells to purified ICAM-1 in assays done under flow conditions. In this study, we show that soluble SDF-1α induced a rapid (within 20 s) cessation of rolling and tight adhesion of >90% of the rolling T cells on monolayers of activated endothelial cells under similar flow. Within 4 min, the T cells had either started to migrate between the endothelial cells or re-entered the rolling and circulating lymphocyte pool. This deadherence of the firmly bound cells, with either ensuing transmigration or continued rolling, was most likely due to desensitization of lymphocytes to the continuously present SDF-1α. The released rolling lymphocytes could still respond to other activating signals by a second round of tight adhesion. Pretreating the lymphocytes with pertussis toxin almost completely blocked the effect of the chemokine, confirming that the induction of firm adhesion was due to the function of the chemokine on the lymphocytes and not the endothelial cells. Pretreating the endothelium with SDF-1α did not lead to firm adhesion of subsequently added lymphocytes, also indicating that the effect was due to soluble, not endothelially bound, chemokine. Blocking experiments showed that the same molecules mediated rolling before and after SDF-1α-induced tight adhesion. This is the first study to demonstrate the effect of soluble SDF-1α on T cell rolling on an endothelial cell monolayer. The data broaden our understanding of the stimulatory factors directing the firm adhesion and ensuing transmigration of leukocytes into tissues through activated endothelium.

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Bovine γ/δ T cells and neutrophils roll on 24 h cytokine- or lipopolysaccharide-stimulated bovine fetal umbilical cord endothelial cells in assays done under physiological flow. An antibody directed against E- and L-selectin has minimal blocking effect on this rolling interaction. mAbs were raised against the stimulated bovine endothelial cells and screened for inhibition of γ/δ T cell rolling. One mAb (GR113) was identified that recognizes an antigen (GR antigen) selectively expressed by stimulated bovine endothelial cells isolated from fetal umbilical cord, mesenteric lymph nodes, and aorta. GR113 blocked bovine γ/δ T cell as well as neutrophil rolling on the 24 h-activated endothelial cells. The GR antigen was constitutively expressed at low levels on the cell surface of platelets and its expression was not upregulated after stimulation of these cells with thrombin or phorbol myristate acetate. However, stimulated platelets released a soluble, functionally active form of the molecule that selectively bound in solution to γ/δ T cells in a mixed lymphocyte preparation. GR113 mAb blocked the binding of the soluble platelet molecule to the γ/δ T cells. Soluble GR antigen also bound a subset of human lymphocytes. Cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen (CLA) bright human lymphocytes exhibited the greatest capacity to bind the GR antigen, though CLA was not required for binding. Subsets of both human CD4 and CD8 T cells bound the GR antigen. Immunoprecipitation experiments showed the GR antigen to be 110-120 kD M r. The binding of soluble GR antigen was inhibited by EDTA and O-sialoglycoprotease, but not neuraminidase treatment of the target cells.

The phenomenon of tissue-specific homing of lymphocyte populations has been most clearly shown in larger domestic animals, such as the sheep and cow, yet the molecular interactions which control these processes in these animals have not been defined. Here we tested the cross-reactivity of four anti-human peripheral lymph node homing receptor (LECAM-1) (also known as LAM-1, LEC-CAM-1, Leu-8, TQ-1, or human equivalent of gp90 MEL-14) antibodies on bovine lymphocytes. These antibodies stained all bovine neutrophils and monocytes, and variable numbers of peripheral blood lymphocytes, as determined by flow cytometry. In young calves (less than 1 month old) virtually all circulating lymphocytes expressed LECAM-1, whereas the percentage of positive lymphocytes in older animals (greater than 1 year) varied from 17%-67%. Bovine LECAM-1 was rapidly lost from the cell surface of PMA-activated and chymotrypsin-treated cells. Anti-LECAM-1 monoclonal antibody blocked greater than 80% of bovine lymphocyte binding to peripheral lymph node high endothelial venules (HEV). Since the lectin domain of LECAM-1 is thought to mediate lymphocyte-HEV adhesion, we sought to establish further the similarity of the bovine, mouse, and human molecules by comparing nucleotide sequences in this region of the molecule. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to specifically clone the bovine lectin domain from single-strand cDNA. Subsequent sequencing showed an identity of greater than 80% at the nucleotide level with the human and mouse molecules. The predicted amino acid sequences were also highly conserved. Though striking similarities were seen between the bovine, mouse and human molecule, indicating evolutionary conservation of this family of proteins, notable differences were detected. The nucleotide sequence of the bovine lectin domain predicts one additional N-linked glycosylation site compared to mouse and human. Preliminary analysis suggested a more tissue-restricted expression of LECAM-1 in the compared to the human and mouse, which correlates with a better separation of lymphocyte homing phenotypes seen in these larger animals. Virtually all peripheral lymph node lymphocytes in 6-month-old calves expressed LECAM-1, whereas, ileal Peyer's patch lymphocytes were predominantly negative. Finally, by testing anti-human LECAM-1 antibodies in a different species we have established the co-expression of antigenic epitopes on leucocyte LECAM-1 and a molecule(s) expressed by endothelial cells.