The human butyrophilin (BTN) 3 or CD277 molecules belong to the B7 family members and are expressed in various immune cells such as T and NK cells. Here, we show that CD277 triggering considerably enhances TCR-induced cytokine production and cell proliferation, even when another co-stimulatory molecule, CD28, is engaged. These CD277-induced additive functional effects are in accordance with the detection of early T-cell activation events such as TCR-induced cell signaling being increased upon CD277 engagement. However, we found that CD277 triggering is not involved in CD16- or NKp46-induced NK cell activation. BTN3/CD277 comprises three structurally related members, BTN3A1, BTN3A2 and BTN3A3. CD277 antibodies recognize all isoforms and we describe a differential expression of BTN3 isoforms between T and NK cells that could explain differential CD277 functions between T and NK cells. Our results show that, while T cells express all BTN3/CD277 transcripts, NK cells express mostly BTN3A2, which lacks the B30.2 intracellular domain. Furthermore, NKp30-induced cytokine production is decreased by the specific engagement of BTN3A2, but not by BTN3A1 triggering. Thus, we provide new insights into the CD277 co-stimulatory pathway that may differentially participate in the regulation of various cell-mediated immune responses.
Human peripheral Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are activated by phosphorylated metabolites (phosphoagonists [PAg]) of the mammalian mevalonate or the microbial desoxyxylulose-phosphate pathways accumulated by infected or metabolically distressed cells. The underlying mechanisms are unknown. We show that treatment of nonsusceptible target cells with antibody 20.1 against CD277, a member of the extended B7 superfamily related to butyrophilin, mimics PAg-induced Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell activation and that the Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell receptor is implicated in this effect. Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell activation can be abrogated by exposing susceptible cells (tumor and mycobacteria-infected cells, or aminobisphosphonate-treated cells with up-regulated PAg levels) to antibody 103.2 against CD277. CD277 knockdown and domain-shuffling approaches confirm the key implication of the CD277 isoform BTN3A1 in PAg sensing by Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments support a causal link between intracellular PAg accumulation, decreased BTN3A1 membrane mobility, and ensuing Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell activation. This study demonstrates a novel role played by B7-like molecules in human γδ T-cell antigenic activation and paves the way for new strategies to improve the efficiency of immunotherapies using Vγ9Vδ2 T cells.
The human butyrophilin (BTN) 3 or CD277 molecules belong to the B7 family members and are expressed in various immune cells such as T and NK cells. Here, we show that CD277 triggering considerably enhances TCR-induced cytokine production and cell proliferation, even when another co-stimulatory molecule, CD28, is engaged. These CD277-induced additive functional effects are in accordance with the detection of early T-cell activation events such as TCR-induced cell signaling being increased upon CD277 engagement. However, we found that CD277 triggering is not involved in CD16- or NKp46-induced NK cell activation. BTN3/CD277 comprises three structurally related members, BTN3A1, BTN3A2 and BTN3A3. CD277 antibodies recognize all isoforms and we describe a differential expression of BTN3 isoforms between T and NK cells that could explain differential CD277 functions between T and NK cells. Our results show that, while T cells express all BTN3/CD277 transcripts, NK cells express mostly BTN3A2, which lacks the B30.2 intracellular domain. Furthermore, NKp30-induced cytokine production is decreased by the specific engagement of BTN3A2, but not by BTN3A1 triggering. Thus, we provide new insights into the CD277 co-stimulatory pathway that may differentially participate in the regulation of various cell-mediated immune responses.
Human peripheral Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are activated by phosphorylated metabolites (phosphoagonists [PAg]) of the mammalian mevalonate or the microbial desoxyxylulose-phosphate pathways accumulated by infected or metabolically distressed cells. The underlying mechanisms are unknown. We show that treatment of nonsusceptible target cells with antibody 20.1 against CD277, a member of the extended B7 superfamily related to butyrophilin, mimics PAg-induced Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell activation and that the Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell receptor is implicated in this effect. Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell activation can be abrogated by exposing susceptible cells (tumor and mycobacteria-infected cells, or aminobisphosphonate-treated cells with up-regulated PAg levels) to antibody 103.2 against CD277. CD277 knockdown and domain-shuffling approaches confirm the key implication of the CD277 isoform BTN3A1 in PAg sensing by Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments support a causal link between intracellular PAg accumulation, decreased BTN3A1 membrane mobility, and ensuing Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell activation. This study demonstrates a novel role played by B7-like molecules in human γδ T-cell antigenic activation and paves the way for new strategies to improve the efficiency of immunotherapies using Vγ9Vδ2 T cells.
Protein involved in adaptive immunity. Vertebrates can develop a broad and almost infinite repertoire of antigen-specific receptors, which allows vertebrates to recognize almost any potential pathogen or toxin and to mount antigen-specific responses to it. Two types of adaptive immunity systems have evolved in vertebrates in order to generate immune receptor diversity. The jawed vertebrates strategy uses the V(D)JC recombination to achieve combinatorial diversity of immunoglobulin-based B cell receptors and T cell receptors. The jawless vertebrate strategy uses the somatic rearrangements of variable leucine-rich cassettes in the variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs). The hallmarks of an adaptive immune system is the production of antigen-specific recognition receptor by somatic gene rearrangement. The long life of some antigen-primed cytotoxic lymphocytes and plasma cells provide protective memory to prevent reinvasion.
Protein involved in immunity, any immune system process that functions in the response of an organism to a potential internal or invasive threat. The vertebrate immune system is formed by the innate immune system (composed of phagocytes, complement, antimicrobial peptides, etc) and by the adaptive immune system which consists of T- and B- lymphocytes.
A reference proteome is a set of protein sequences derived from a complete proteome which constitutes a defined standard for a particular user community. Reference proteomes are manually defined according to a number of criteria. They cover the proteomes of well- studied model organisms and other proteomes of interest for biomedical and biotechnological research. Reference proteomes have been selected to provide broad coverage of the tree of life, and constitute a representative cross-section of the taxonomic diversity to be found within UniProtKB.