GF109203X, a specific PKC inhibitor, abrogates anti-CD3 antibody-induced upregulation of CD4+ T cell adhesion to B cells.

Antigen-independent adhesion of CD4+ T lymphocytes to Epstein-Barr virus transformed B cells is mainly mediated by LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) and CD2 molecules. Low-affinity binding of resting T cells can be transiently upregulated by cross-linking of CD3-TCR (T cell receptor) complexes. This inside-out signaling influences integrin (beta 1 and beta 2) adhesion capacity. Studies using the nonspecific inhibitor staurosporine have suggested that this phenomenon is dependent on protein kinase C activation. We found that the upregulation of anti-CD3-activated CD4+ T cell adhesion was inhibited strongly and in a concentration-dependent manner by GF109203X, a compound described as a potent and selective inhibitor of PKC. Comparative studies showed that GF109203X and staurosporine had similar inhibitory effects on the upregulation of activated CD4+ T cell adhesion. However, staurosporine is a nonselective kinase inhibitor. PMA-activated CD4+ T cell adhesion was also inhibited by GF109203X. In contrast, passive enhancement of adhesion by treatment with the CD11a-specific antibody NKI-L16 was unaffected by GF109203X. Taken together, these results show that PKC is involved in upregulating the adhesion of CD4+ T cells to B cells following activation of the former by CD3 cross-linking. PKC-dependent upregulation of CD4+ T cell adhesion to B cells is exclusively LFA-1-dependent, as GF109203X had no additional inhibitory effect on anti-LFA-1 antibody-pretreated T cells activated by the anti-CD3 antibody OKT3 and had no effect on the adhesion of LFA-1(-) CD4+ T cells. Finally, PKC inhibition did not alter CD2-mediated adhesion. This points to a limited participation of CD2 in T-B cell interactions after TCR/CD3 cross-linking.