Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β Facilitates Cytokine Production in 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-Acetate/Ionomycin-Activated Human CD4
+ T Lymphocytes.
Cells 2020;
9:cells9061424. [PMID:
32521784 PMCID:
PMC7348852 DOI:
10.3390/cells9061424]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytokines are the major immune regulators secreted from activated CD4+ T lymphocytes that activate adaptive immunity to eradicate nonself cells, including pathogens, tumors, and allografts. The regulation of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, a serine/threonine kinase, controls cytokine production by regulating transcription factors. The artificial in vitro activation of CD4+ T lymphocytes by a combination of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and ionomycin, the so-called T/I model, led to an inducible production of cytokines, such as interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-2. As demonstrated by the approaches of pharmacological targeting and genetic knockdown of GSK-3β, T/I treatment effectively caused GSK-3β activation followed by GSK-3β-regulated cytokine production. In contrast, pharmacological inhibition of the proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 and calcineurin signaling pathways blocked cytokine production, probably by deactivating GSK-3β. The blockade of GSK-3β led to the inhibition of the nuclear translocation of T-bet, a vital transcription factor of T lymphocyte cytokines. In a mouse model, treatment with the GSK-3β inhibitor 6-bromoindirubin-3’-oxime significantly inhibited T/I-induced mortality and serum cytokine levels. In summary, targeting GSK-3β effectively inhibits CD4+ T lymphocyte activation and cytokine production.
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