Alpha(1,3)-fucosyltransferase VII and alpha(2,3)-sialyltransferase IV are up-regulated in activated CD4 T cells and maintained after their differentiation into Th1 and migration into inflammatory sites

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 163; no. 7; pp. 3746 - 3752
• Main Authors: Blander, J M, Visintin, I, Janeway, Jr, C A, Medzhitov, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.1999
• Subjects: AIDS/HIV; Animals; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - enzymology; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - pathology; Cell Differentiation - immunology; Cell Movement - immunology; Down-Regulation - immunology; Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte - biosynthesis; Fucosyltransferases - biosynthesis; Fucosyltransferases - genetics; Gangliosides - immunology; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II - metabolism; Hypersensitivity, Delayed - enzymology; Hypersensitivity, Delayed - immunology; Hypersensitivity, Delayed - pathology; Interleukin-12 - pharmacology; Interleukin-4 - pharmacology; Interphase - immunology; Lewis Blood-Group System - immunology; Lymph Nodes - enzymology; Lymph Nodes - immunology; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Lymphocyte Activation; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Peptide Fragments - immunology; Peptide Fragments - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; Sialyltransferases - biosynthesis; Th1 Cells - enzymology; Th1 Cells - immunology; Th1 Cells - pathology; Th2 Cells - enzymology; Th2 Cells - immunology; Up-Regulation - immunology
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.163.7.3746

Activated Th1 CD4 T cells bind to P-selectin and migrate into inflamed tissue, whereas Th2 cells do not. We show that alpha(1, 3)-fucosyltransferase VII (FucT-VII) and alpha(2, 3)-sialyltransferase IV (ST3GalIV), which are crucial for the biosynthesis of functional P-selectin ligands, are absent in naive CD4 T cells, but are rapidly up-regulated upon activation. Th1 or Th2 differentiation in the presence of polarizing cytokines leads to down-regulation of FucT-VII mRNA selectively in Th2 but not in Th1 cells. Influencing the differentiation by varying the priming dose of antigenic peptide results in similar FucT-VII down-regulation only in Ag-specific Th2 cells. ST3GalIV levels remain elevated. FucT-VII and ST3GalIV mRNAs are also up-regulated by Th1 cells primed in vivo and recruited into the lymph nodes draining delayed-type hypersensitivity sites. We identify FucT-VII gene expression as a principal difference between Th1 and Th2 cells, and underscore the importance of FucT-VII and ST3GalIV expression for the biosynthesis of functional selectin ligands.