A reducing milieu renders cofilin insensitive to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) inhibition.

ABSTRACT: Oxidative stress can lead to T cell hyporesponsiveness. A reducing micromilieu (e.g. provided by dendritic cells) can rescue T cells from such oxidant-induced dysfunction. However, the reducing effects on proteins leading to restored T cell activation remained unknown. One key molecule of T cell activation is the actin-remodeling protein cofilin, which is dephosphorylated on serine 3 upon T cell costimulation and has an essential role in formation of mature immune synapses between T cells and antigen-presenting cells. Cofilin is spatiotemporally regulated; at the plasma membrane, it can be inhibited by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Here, we show by NMR spectroscopy that a reducing milieu led to structural changes in the cofilin molecule predominantly located on the protein

SUBMITTER: Schulte B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3795243 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature