© The Rockefeller University Press, 0022-1007/2000/3/1017/ $5.00
The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Volume 191, Number 6, March 20, 2000 1017-1030
Regulation of Fas Ligand Expression during Activation-induced Cell Death in T Cells by p38 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase and c-Jun NH2-terminal Kinase
Jian Zhanga,
Jian-Xin Gaoa,
Kostantin Salojina,
Qing Shaod,
Marsha Grattana,
Craig Meaghera,b,
Dale W. Lairdd, and
Terry L. Delovitcha,b,c
a Autoimmunity/Diabetes Group, The John P. Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario N6G 2V4, Canada
b Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
c Department of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
d Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
Correspondence to:
Terry L. Delovitch, Director, Autoimmunity/Diabetes Group, The John P. Robarts Research Institute, 1400 Western Rd., London, Ontario N6G 2V4, Canada. Tel:519-663-3972 Fax:519-663-3847 E-mail:del{at}rri.on.ca.
Released online: 20 March 2000
Activation-induced cell death (AICD) is a mechanism of peripheral T cell tolerance that depends upon an interaction between Fas and Fas ligand (FasL). Although c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) may be involved in apoptosis in various cell types, the mode of regulation of FasL expression during AICD in T cells by these two MAPKs is incompletely understood. To investigate the regulatory roles of these two MAPKs, we analyzed the kinetics of TCR-induced p38 MAPK and JNK activity and their regulation of FasL expression and AICD. We report that both JNK and p38 MAPK regulate AICD in T cells. Our data suggest a novel model of T cell AICD in which p38 MAPK acts early to initiate FasL expression and the Fas-mediated activation of caspases. Subsequently, caspases stimulate JNK to further upregulate FasL expression. Thus, p38 MAPK and downstream JNK converge to regulate FasL expression at different times after T cell receptor stimulation to elicit maximum AICD.
Key Words:
Fas ligand, apoptosis, p38 MAPK, JNK, T cells