Inhibition and activation of interleukin 2 synthesis by direct modification of guanosine triphosphate-binding proteins.

To investigate whether guanosine triphosphate-binding proteins (G proteins) are involved in T cell activation, tests were made of the effect of pertussis toxin, cholera toxin, guanosine 5'-(3-O-thio)-triphosphate, and fluoride ions on interleukin 2 (IL-2) synthesis in Jurkat cells. It was found: 1) that pertussis toxin interferes with the first pathway of T cell activation insofar as it can substitute for phytohemagglutinin or monoclonal antibodies directed against the CD3 surface proteins, suggesting that a G protein serves as transducer for signals via the T cell receptor-CD3 complex; and 2) that fluoride ions induce the release of diacylglycerol (DAG) from [3H] arachidonic acid or [3H]oleic acid-prelabeled cells. In [3H]inositol or 32P-prelabeled cells, the increase in DAG production was also found to be accompanied by a 280% increase of intracellular inositol phosphate (IP), without significant modification of IP2 and IP3. These results suggest that a G protein controls the activity of a phospholipase C in Jurkat cells that upon stimulation releases DAG but not IP3. Inasmuch as DAG, like the phorbol ester tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate, activates protein kinase C, it suggests that a G protein is also involved in the transduction of the second signal for lymphocyte activation. Fluoride ions were found to be as effective as tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate to stimulate IL-2 synthesis in Jurkat cells when used in combination with phytohemagglutinin. Finally, cholera toxin and guanosine 5'-(3-O-thio)-triphosphate were found to increase intracellular cyclic adenosine triphosphate and to inhibit IL-2 synthesis. All together these results suggest that several G proteins are involved in the transduction of the two signals necessary for T cell activation as well as in the negative regulation of IL-2 synthesis.