CD45 is a leukocyte specific protein tyrosine phosphatase present on the surface of all nucleated, hematopoietic cells. Despite its well-characterized role in antigen receptor signaling, little is known about its function in cell types like dendritic cells (DCs). DCs are crucial to the immune response both for its initiation and for its suppression. In this dissertation, the effects of the lack of CD45 on dendritic cell development and function were studied. The most important finding was that the lack of CD45 had a differential impact on the proinflammatory cytokine profiles elicited in DCs by different TLR agonists. TLR4 ligation led to a decrease in proinflammatory cytokine and IFNβ production whereas stimulation through TLR2 or TLR9 increased cytokine production. This suggests CD45 may be acting as a negative regulator of MyD88-dependent cytokine signaling and a positive regulator of the Trif pathway. The absence of CD45 caused alterations in the phosphotyrosine levels of several Src family kinases including Lyn. In CD45-/- DCs, Lyn was not activated upon LPS stimulation and several substrates of Lyn that appear as negative regulators in the MyD88-dependent pathway of TLR4 signaling are also not phosphorylated, providing evidence that CD45 may be a negative regulator of this pathway. The absence of CD45 in TLR activated DCs had an effect on the IFNγ secretion by CD4+ T cells and NK cells, consistent with the cytokine profiles of the DCs These data demonstrate that modulation of TLR signaling by CD45, in DCs, has the ability to impact the development of the adaptive immune response. The absence of CD45 in mice did not result in increased survival upon challenge with a high dose of LPS. Serum TNFα levels were increased in the CD45-/- mice and they showed more severe symptoms of septic shock. However, the CD45-/- mice were also found to have an increase in the number of peritoneal macrophages. Overall this study shows that CD45 does play an important role in cell types other than lymphocytes. CD45 is a regulator of TLR-mediated cytokine secretion in DCs and thus directs the outcome of the adaptive immune response.

CD45 is a leukocyte specific protein tyrosine phosphatase present on the surface of all nucleated, hematopoietic cells. Despite its well-characterized role in antigen receptor signaling, little is known about its function in cell types like dendritic cells (DCs). DCs are crucial to the immune response both for its initiation and for its suppression. In this dissertation, the effects of the lack of CD45 on dendritic cell development and function were studied. The most important finding was that the lack of CD45 had a differential impact on the proinflammatory cytokine profiles elicited in DCs by different TLR agonists. TLR4 ligation led to a decrease in proinflammatory cytokine and IFNβ production whereas stimulation through TLR2 or TLR9 increased cytokine production. This suggests CD45 may be acting as a negative regulator of MyD88-dependent cytokine signaling and a positive regulator of the Trif pathway. The absence of CD45 caused alterations in the phosphotyrosine levels of several Src family kinases including Lyn. In CD45-/- DCs, Lyn was not activated upon LPS stimulation and several substrates of Lyn that appear as negative regulators in the MyD88-dependent pathway of TLR4 signaling are also not phosphorylated, providing evidence that CD45 may be a negative regulator of this pathway. The absence of CD45 in TLR activated DCs had an effect on the IFNγ secretion by CD4+ T cells and NK cells, consistent with the cytokine profiles of the DCs These data demonstrate that modulation of TLR signaling by CD45, in DCs, has the ability to impact the development of the adaptive immune response. The absence of CD45 in mice did not result in increased survival upon challenge with a high dose of LPS. Serum TNFα levels were increased in the CD45-/- mice and they showed more severe symptoms of septic shock. However, the CD45-/- mice were also found to have an increase in the number of peritoneal macrophages. Overall this study shows that CD45 does play an important role in cell types other than lymphocytes. CD45 is a regulator of TLR-mediated cytokine secretion in DCs and thus directs the outcome of the adaptive immune response.

CD45 is a leukocyte specific protein tyrosine phosphatase present on the surface of all nucleated, hematopoietic cells. Despite its well-characterized role in antigen receptor signaling, little is known about its function in cell types like dendritic cells (DCs). DCs are crucial to the immune response both for its initiation and for its suppression. In this dissertation, the effects of the lack of CD45 on dendritic cell development and function were studied. The most important finding was that the lack of CD45 had a differential impact on the proinflammatory cytokine profiles elicited in DCs by different TLR agonists. TLR4 ligation led to a decrease in proinflammatory cytokine and IFNβ production whereas stimulation through TLR2 or TLR9 increased cytokine production. This suggests CD45 may be acting as a negative regulator of MyD88-dependent cytokine signaling and a positive regulator of the Trif pathway. The absence of CD45 caused alterations in the phosphotyrosine levels of several Src family kinases including Lyn. In CD45-/- DCs, Lyn was not activated upon LPS stimulation and several substrates of Lyn that appear as negative regulators in the MyD88-dependent pathway of TLR4 signaling are also not phosphorylated, providing evidence that CD45 may be a negative regulator of this pathway. The absence of CD45 in TLR activated DCs had an effect on the IFNγ secretion by CD4+ T cells and NK cells, consistent with the cytokine profiles of the DCs These data demonstrate that modulation of TLR signaling by CD45, in DCs, has the ability to impact the development of the adaptive immune response. The absence of CD45 in mice did not result in increased survival upon challenge with a high dose of LPS. Serum TNFα levels were increased in the CD45-/- mice and they showed more severe symptoms of septic shock. However, the CD45-/- mice were also found to have an increase in the number of peritoneal macrophages. Overall this study shows that CD45 does play an important role in cell types other than lymphocytes. CD45 is a regulator of TLR-mediated cytokine secretion in DCs and thus directs the outcome of the adaptive immune response. / Science, Faculty of / Microbiology and Immunology, Department of / Graduate

Ulm, Univ., Diss., 2009.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [84]-101).

Zugl.: Köln, Univ., Diss., 2007

E-selectin is a transmembrane endothelium adhesion protein involved in rolling, arrest and migration of leukocytes as well as in the metastasis of many cancer types. Previous reports suggested that the interactions between E-selectin and its ligands transduce signals into migrating leukocytes and in E-selectin expressing endothelial cells. This study investigates the signaling pathways involved in E-selectin binding to ligands on leukocytes. Using recombinant soluble E-selectin constructs, we simulated the binding of E-selectin to its ligand(s) to reveal important signaling pathways triggered upon these interactions in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Since phosphorylation is the major post-translational modification, we examined the changes in the phosphorylation profile in tyrosine residues. We found a time-dependent reduction in the phosphotyrosine levels upon E-selectin binding to the AML cell line, KG-1a. The results of this study revealed two tyrosine phosphatases with altered activity after E-selectin treatment. The first is a cytoplasmic, dual-specific, phosphatase known as PTEN which is involved in controlling cell survival and proliferation. The second is CD45, which is a major component of the leukocytes cell membrane responsible for antigen receptor signaling. A more global phosphoproteomics analysis in AML cells revealed large scale changes in the phosphorylation levels after E-selectin treatment. In particular, 2259 phosphorylated proteins were identified, 530 of which portray significant changes in their phosphorylation status. The majority of those proteins are related to nuclear functions and are involved in pathways crucial for the cell cycle. Knowing that E-selectin binding stimulates chemoresistance in cancer cells, the findings of this project can contribute to the identification of multiple pathways responsible for this phenomenon and help towards the development of drugs that may inhibit such pathways in controlling disease.

The work detailed in this dissertation has an overarching theme of modulating microglia activation in both in vivo and in vitro models relevant to AD. The premise is that understanding microglia function in this context may lead to a better understanding of AD pathogenesis and thus to effective therapeutic interventions. In chapter 3, we employ a well-defined model of microglia activation whereby the intraperitoneal delivery of LPS results in CNS microglia activation and TNF-α production. Having previously identified that CD45 signaling pathways antagonized microglia TNF-α production in vitro and given that immunotherapy with anti-CD45 antibodies are already in clinical trials for both the treatment of malignant disorders as well as for tolerance induction following organ transplants, we investigated whether microglial CD45 could be a relevant molecular target in the opposition of microglia activation in vivo. Given that a number of epidemiological studies have shown an inverse correlation between the use of statins (a class of drugs that were initially described as specific inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis) and the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (Wolozin, 2000; Simon 2002; Zamrini, 2004); in chapter 4, we employed one of the most prescribed statins, lovastatin in our microglia activation paradigm. Interestingly, we show that statins only inhibit the enzyme HMG-CoA (the rate limiting step of cholesterol biosynthesis) but that they also display pleiotrophic effects including the inhibition of CD40 expression. Given the role of CD40 in microglia activation and its potential role in AD pathogenesis, we investigated whether lovastatin's protection in AD might be derived from effects on microglia function as governed by the CD40 pathway. In chapter 5, we provide evident for a model of microglia activation that addresses some of the current controversies concerning the role of microglia cells in AD pathogenesis. The model suggests that microglia cells exist in a number of distinct activation states, in one such state that we denote the "phagocytic state"; microglia function to clear cellular debris or foreign invaders or in the case of AD to remove β-amyloid/Aβ peptides. However, in response to certain co-stimuli (i.e. CD40 activation) these microglia take the form of an "antigen presenting cell" (APC) whereby they lose their phagocytic capacity in lieu of cytokine production and thus potential contributing to AD pathogenesis.

CD45 is a protein tyrosine phosphatase that is expressed on all nucleated hematopoietic cells. The major substrates of CD45 in thymocytes and T cells are the Src family kinases Lck and Fyn. The role of CD45 in thymocyte development and T cell activation via its regulation of Src family kinases in T cell receptor signaling has been studied extensively. However, the role of CD45 in processes that affect thymocyte development prior to the expression of the T cell receptor has not been explored. The overall hypothesis of this study was that CD45 is a regulator of spreading, migration, proliferation, and differentiation of early thymocytes during development in the thymus and the absence of CD45 would alter the outcome of thymocyte development. The first aim was to determine how CD45 regulates CD44-mediated signaling leading to cell spreading. The interaction between CD44 and Lck was first examined. CD44 associated with Lck in a zinc-dependent and a zinc-independent manner. Mutation analysis localized the zinc-dependent interaction to the membrane proximal region of CD44, but did not involve individual cysteine residues on CD44. CD44 and Lck co-localized in microclusters upon CD44-mediated cell spreading. CD45 co-localized with Lck and CD44 in microclusters and with F-actin in ring structures. The recruitment of CD45 to microclusters may be a mechanism of how CD45 negatively regulates CD44-mediated spreading. The second specific aim was to determine the role of CD45 in migration, proliferation, and progression and differentiation of early thymocytes. CD45 negatively regulated CXCL12-mediated migration, and positively regulated the proliferation and progression of CD117- DN1 thymocytes. Absence of CD45 led to an altered composition of thymic subsets. The CD45-/- thymus contained decreased numbers of ETPs and an aberrant CD117- DN1 population that lacked CD24, TCRbeta, and CCR7 expression. There were also increased thymic NK and gamma/delta T cells, but decreased NKT cells. In addition, a novel intermediate between DN1 and DN2 that required Notch for progression was identified. Overall, this study identified new roles for CD45 in early thymocytes and provided a better picture of how the development of T cells, a central component of the immune system, is regulated.