BACKGROUND
The progesterone-regulated glycoprotein glycodelin-A (GdA), secreted by the decidualized endometrium at high concentrations in primates, inhibits the maternal immune response against fetal antigens and thereby contributes to the tolerance of the semi-allogenic fetus during a normal pregnancy. Our earlier studies demonstrated the ability of GdA to induce an intrinsic apoptotic cascade in CD4+ T-lymphocytes and suppress the cytolytic effector function of CD8+ T-lymphocytes. In this report, we investigated further into the mechanism of action of GdA controlling perforin and granzyme B expression in CD8+ T-lymphocytes and the mechanism of action of GdA leading to lymphocyte death.
METHODS
Flow cytometry analysis was performed to check for the surface expression of interleukin-2 receptor α (IL-2Rα) and intracellular eomesodermin (Eomes) in activated T-lymphocytes, whereas quantitative RT–PCR analysis was used to find out their mRNA profile upon GdA treatment. Western analysis was carried out to confirm the protein level of Bax and Bcl-2.
RESULTS
GdA reduces the surface expression of the high-affinity IL-2R complex by down-regulating the synthesis of IL-2Rα (CD25). This disturbs the optimal IL-2 signalling and decreases the Eomes expression, which along with IL-2 directly regulates perforin and granzymes expression. Consequently, the CD8+ T-lymphocytes undergo growth arrest and are unable to mature into competent cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. In the CD4+ T-lymphocytes, growth factor IL-2 deprivation leads to proliferation inhibition, decreased Bcl-2/enhanced Bax expression, culminating in mitochondrial stress and cell death.
CONCLUSIONS
GdA spurs cell cycle arrest, loss of effector functions and apoptosis in different T-cell subsets by making T-lymphocytes unable to respond to IL-2.
Source:
http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/rss/current.xml
Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith
