Article abstract


Nature Immunology 10, 880 - 888 (2009)
Published online: 28 June 2009 | doi:10.1038/ni.1749

Essential function for the GTPase TC21 in homeostatic antigen receptor signaling

Pilar Delgado1, Beatriz Cubelos1, Enrique Calleja1, Nuria Martínez-Martín1, Angel Ciprés2, Isabel Mérida2, Carmen Bellas3, Xosé R Bustelo4 & Balbino Alarcón1


T cell antigen receptors (TCRs) and B cell antigen receptors (BCRs) transmit low-grade signals necessary for the survival and maintenance of mature cell pools. We show here that TC21, a small GTPase encoded by Rras2, interacted constitutively with both kinds of receptors. Expression of a dominant negative TC21 mutant in T cells produced a rapid decrease in cell viability, and Rras2-/- mice were lymphopenic, possibly as a result of diminished homeostatic proliferation and impaired T cell and B cell survival. In contrast, TC21 was overexpressed in several human lymphoid malignancies. Finally, the p110delta catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI(3)K) was recruited to the TCR and BCR in a TC21-dependent way. Consequently, we propose TC21 directly links antigen receptors to PI(3)K-mediated survival pathways.

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  1. Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.
  2. Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.
  3. Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain.
  4. Centro de Investigación del Cáncer and Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas–University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.

Correspondence to: Balbino Alarcón1 e-mail: balarcon@cbm.uam.es



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