BIOSS
Centre for Biological Signalling Studies

SYK expression endows human ZAP70-deficient CD8 T cells with residual TCR signaling

14.07.2015

Hauck F, Blumenthal B, Fuchs S, Lenoir C, Martin E, Speckmann C, Vraetz T, Mannhardt-Laakmann W, Lambert N, Gil M, Borte S, Audrain M, Schwarz K, Lim A, Schamel WW, Fischer A, Ehl S, Rensing-Ehl A, Picard C, Latour S.

Clin Immunol. 2015;161(2):103-109.

Clin Immunol.            online article

Mutations of signalling proteins in the immune system can be the cause of immune deficiencies. One such signalling protein studied in BIOSS is the tyrosine kinase ZAP70. Human ZAP-70 deficiency is a rare cause of severe combined immune deficiency characterized by functionally impaired CD4+ helper T cells and CD8+ cytotoxic T cell lymphopenia. Patients present with infant SCID with severe systemic infections. In this BIOSS work, we report one new ZAP70 splice site (IVS11-1G>C) mutation. We found that the oligoclonal CD8+ T cells show SYK overexpression. SYK is the second member of the ZAP-70/SYK kinase family and thus could compensate fort he loss of ZAP-70. Indeed, residual TCR signaling such as protein tyrosine phosphorylation and Ca2+-flux was demonstrated.