Molecular interactions of the tetraspanins CD37, TSSC6 and CD151 in T cells

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The tetraspanins are a new type of protein that are found at the surface of cells. Cells of the immune system, such as white blood cells, display at their surface, up to 20 different tetraspanin proteins. However, the precise contributions of these tetraspanin proteins to immunity is still not clear, nor is it clear exactly how tetraspanin proteins differ from one another and why white blood cells need to display so many different tetraspanins. Using genetic technology we have created mice which are unable to express certain individual tetraspanin proteins at their cell surface. Excitingly, the immune systems of these mice are not normal, in particular one type of white blood cell, the T cell responds in an exaggerated manner to stimulation. These results suggest a role for tetraspanins in the control and regulation of the immune system. This project will extend these results and work out the precise molecular mechanism by which the tetraspanins exert this control. In the future, a full understanding of how tetraspanins control T cells may ultimately lead to novel ways of controlling the immune system.