Intracellular calcium levels are differentially regulated in T lymphocytes triggered by anti-CD2 and anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies.

Antigen and/or mitogen-driven T-cell activation is mediated by a rise in intracellular free Ca2+, as second messenger. A regulatory key role for this process is represented by membrane-associated [Ca2+/Mg2+] ATP-ase that is mainly devoted to extrusion of intracellular ion excess. In the present study we have investigated the kinetics of CA2+ fluxes in both resting and already activated (Jurkat T-cell line) T lymphocytes after CD3 and CD2 (T11(2) and T11(3)) triggering and focused our attention on plasma membrane [Ca2+/Mg2+] ATP-ase activity. In both resting T cells and Jurkat cell line, the CD2 stimulation was able to determine a rise in intracellular free Ca2+ higher than that observed after CD3 triggering. In addition, this calcium signal was independent of negative feedback control exerted by [Ca2+/Mg2+] ATP-ase, as well as of IP3 generation. Thus the CD2 molecular system may, together with cell-adhesion properties, act as an amplifier of Ca2+ signals that, if delivered in the context of other molecular systems, such as CD3 or MHC class II antigens, are essentially devoted to the polyclonal co-stimulatory recruitment of a larger cellular repertoire.