Comparison of p56lck and p59fyn protein expression in thymocyte subsets, peripheral T cells, NK cells, and lymphoid cell lines

J Immunol. 1995 Nov 1;155(9):4236-40.

Abstract

The expression of the src-family kinases, p56lck and p59fyn, is critical for thymocyte development and TCR-mediated signal transduction, and may be important for signaling through other lymphoid receptors as well. Overexpression studies have demonstrated that the levels of p56lck and p59fyn expression can affect T cell development and signaling through the TCR. Therefore, it is likely that their exact expression levels play an important role in modulating signaling in thymocytes, mature T cells, and other lymphocytes. Here, we used quantitative immunoblotting to measure p56lck and p59fyn protein expression levels in thymocyte subsets, peripheral T cells, NK cells, and lymphoid cell lines. p59fyn expression levels were similar to p56lck in most cells that were examined demonstrating that p59fyn is abundantly expressed in T cells. In addition, we found that p56lck protein expression is equivalent in CD4 and CD8 double-negative, double-positive, and single-positive thymocytes. In contrast, p59fyn expression levels were significantly lower in double-positive thymocytes than in the other thymocyte subpopulations. Finally, we demonstrate that p56lck and p59fyn expression varies greatly in a number of cell lines used to study T cell activation and that IL-2 treatment can dynamically regulate p56lck and p59fyn expression in some cells.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-2 / pharmacology
  • Killer Cells, Natural / drug effects
  • Killer Cells, Natural / metabolism*
  • Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck)
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, SCID
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / biosynthesis*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / immunology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / immunology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • src-Family Kinases / biosynthesis*
  • src-Family Kinases / immunology

Substances

  • Interleukin-2
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • FYN protein, human
  • Fyn protein, mouse
  • Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck)
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn
  • src-Family Kinases