Function of a heterologous muscarinic receptor in T cell antigen receptor signal transduction mutants.

Previously we have described a system of somatic cell genetics (J.CaM1 and J.CaM2) for analyzing signal transduction via the T cell antigen receptor complex (CD3/Ti). Here we describe a third mutant, J.CaM3, which also expresses high levels of receptors that are functionally impaired. Like J.CaM1, J.CaM3 demonstrates partial signal transduction via CD3/Ti to only certain stimuli. J.CaM1, J.CaM2, and J.CaM3 define three non-Ti complementation groups involved in receptor function. To evaluate the mutations further we have introduced a heterologous receptor, the human muscarinic receptor 1 (HM1), into the parental Jurkat and mutant cell lines. This receptor demonstrates signal transduction competence in all these hosts, indicating that 1) T cells express the necessary apparatus for the coupling of HM1 to second messenger generation and 2) the mutations in the J.CaM family all affect molecules that are specific to CD3/Ti, and not HM1, function. Finally, the HM1 receptor exhibits partial sensitivity to cholera toxin in Jurkat cells, in contrast to the virtually complete sensitivity of CD3/Ti to cholera toxin.