Activation of the protein kinase A increases the DNA-binding and transcriptional activity of c-Rel in T cells.

Cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) is known to have both negative and positive effects on the activation mechanisms of T lymphocytes. The authors have analysed the effect of increased cAMP on the activation of NF-kappa B transcription factor. This factor controls the expression of several genes (e.g. IL-2 and IL-2 receptor) involved in the activation and proliferation of T cells. The authors found that elevation of intracellular cAMP in Jurkat T leukaemia cells activated with phorbol ester (PDBu)/calcium ionophore (A23187) increased the DNA-binding of NF-kappa B as detected by the electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Analysis of the subunit composition of the DNA-binding complex indicated that the amount of c-Rel was enhanced while RelA was decreased. Analysis of the effect of elevated cAMP on the degradation of I kappa B-alpha and I kappa B-beta did not reveal an essential change in degradation kinetics of these inhibitor proteins. The elevation of cAMP did not increase the synthesis of c-Rel, but it enhanced the nuclear localization of this protein. Transfection of Jurkat cells with a plasmid kB/TK10-CAT indicated that the increased DNA-binding of c-Rel containing complexes seen in EMSA was also functional. These data imply that the strong and long-lasting c-Rel nuclear localization and DNA-binding induced by protein kinase A is not due to increased c-Rel synthesis or enhanced degradation of the I kappa B inhibitors. Therefore, a direct phosphorylation of the c-Rel protein is the most plausible explanation for these observations. Taken together, these results suggest that cAMP is able to regulate the expression of NF-kappa B-dependent genes in T cells by modifying the composition and subunit activity of NF-kappa B.