IL-8-induced signal transduction in T lymphocytes involves receptor-mediated activation of phospholipases C and D.

We have characterized the IL-8-induced signal transduction processes in T lymphocytes. A basal level of IL-8 receptor expression was shown on mixed PBL, as identified by using phycoerythrin (PE)-coupled IL-8, and this expression was increased following IL-2 stimulation. Scatchard analysis of T cells revealed competitive binding of IL-8 with a Kd of 0.55 nM, with approximately 1200 receptors per cell, on freshly isolated T cells. After 24 h in culture following purification, reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) analyses show the mRNA for only the type B IL-8R on these cultured T lymphocytes and the cell line MOLT-4. Stimulation of T lymphocytes or T cell clones with IL-8 led to generation of inositol trisphosphate and calcium flux. In addition, when T cells were prelabeled with [3H]oleic acid, IL-8 caused a long lasting, time- and dose-related increase in [3H]phosphatidylethanol (PtE), indicating activation of phospholipase D (PLD). By contrast, this IL-8-dependent PLD activity was undetectable in IL-8-stimulated neutrophils. PLD activation appeared to be downstream of protein kinase C, because several inhibitors abrogated the increase in [3H]PtE, whereas guanosine-5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate (GTP(gamma)S) and inositol trisphosphorothioate (IP3S3) both increased the generation of [3H]PtE. Together, these results demonstrate that the IL-8RB receptor is sufficient to mediate phospholipase C (PLC) and PLD activation in T lymphocytes, but not in neutrophils, and indicate an important difference in receptor usage and signal transduction pathways between IL-8-stimulated lymphocytes and neutrophils.