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Hamlin RE, Pienkos SM, Chan L, Stabile MA, Pinedo K, Rao M, Grant P, Bonilla H, Holubar M, Singh U, Jacobson KB, Jagannathan P, Maldonado Y, Holmes SP, Subramanian A, Blish CA. Sex differences and immune correlates of Long COVID development, persistence, and resolution. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.18.599612. [PMID: 38948732 PMCID: PMC11212991 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.18.599612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Sex differences have been observed in acute COVID-19 and Long COVID (LC) outcomes, with greater disease severity and mortality during acute infection in males and a greater proportion of females developing LC. We hypothesized that sex-specific immune dysregulation contributes to the pathogenesis of LC. To investigate the immunologic underpinnings of LC development and persistence, we used single-cell transcriptomics, single-cell proteomics, and plasma proteomics on blood samples obtained during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and at 3 and 12 months post-infection in a cohort of 45 patients who either developed LC or recovered. Several sex-specific immune pathways were associated with LC. Specifically, males who would develop LC at 3 months had widespread increases in TGF-β signaling during acute infection in proliferating NK cells. Females who would develop LC demonstrated increased expression of XIST, an RNA gene implicated in autoimmunity, and increased IL1 signaling in monocytes at 12 months post infection. Several immune features of LC were also conserved across sexes. Both males and females with LC had reduced co-stimulatory signaling from monocytes and broad upregulation of NF-κB transcription factors. In both sexes, those with persistent LC demonstrated increased LAG3, a marker of T cell exhaustion, reduced ETS1 transcription factor expression across lymphocyte subsets, and elevated intracellular IL-4 levels in T cell subsets, suggesting that ETS1 alterations may drive an aberrantly elevated Th2-like response in LC. Altogether, this study describes multiple innate and adaptive immune correlates of LC, some of which differ by sex, and offers insights toward the pursuit of tailored therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E Hamlin
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Shaun M Pienkos
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Leslie Chan
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Immunology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mikayla A Stabile
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kassandra Pinedo
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mallika Rao
- Stanford Center for Clinical Research, Stanford University; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Philip Grant
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hector Bonilla
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Marisa Holubar
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Upinder Singh
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karen B Jacobson
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Prasanna Jagannathan
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yvonne Maldonado
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Susan P Holmes
- Department of Statistics, Stanford University; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Aruna Subramanian
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Catherine A Blish
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Medical Scientist Training Program, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub; San Francisco, CA, USA
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van Os BW, Vos WG, Bosmans LA, van Tiel CM, Toom MD, Beckers L, Admiraal M, Hoeksema MA, de Winther MP, Lutgens E. CD40L modulates CD4 + T-cell activation through receptor for activated C kinase 1. Eur J Immunol 2023; 53:e2350520. [PMID: 37683186 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202350520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Inhibition of the co-stimulatory ligand CD40L has shown beneficial effects in many experimental models of autoimmune disease and inflammation. Here, we show that CD40L deficiency in T cells in mice causes a reduction of CD4+ T-cell activation and specifically a strong reduction in IFN-γ-producing Th1 cells. In vitro, we could not reproduce this antigen presenting cell-dependent effects, but found that T-cell CD40L affects cell death and proliferation. We identified receptor of activated C kinase, the canonical PKC binding partner and known to drive proliferation and apoptosis, as a mediator of CD40L reverse signaling. Furthermore, we found that CD40L clustering stabilizes IFN-γ mediated Th1 polarization through STAT1, a known binding partner of receptor of activated C kinase. Together this highlights the importance of both CD40L forward and reverse signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram W van Os
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Atherosclerosis & Ischemic Syndromes, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Immunity and Infection, Inflammatory diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Winnie G Vos
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Atherosclerosis & Ischemic Syndromes, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Immunity and Infection, Inflammatory diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Laura A Bosmans
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Atherosclerosis & Ischemic Syndromes, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Immunity and Infection, Inflammatory diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Claudia M van Tiel
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Atherosclerosis & Ischemic Syndromes, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Immunity and Infection, Inflammatory diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Myrthe den Toom
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Atherosclerosis & Ischemic Syndromes, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Immunity and Infection, Inflammatory diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Linda Beckers
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Atherosclerosis & Ischemic Syndromes, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Immunity and Infection, Inflammatory diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Merel Admiraal
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marten A Hoeksema
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Atherosclerosis & Ischemic Syndromes, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Immunity and Infection, Inflammatory diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Menno P de Winther
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Atherosclerosis & Ischemic Syndromes, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Immunity and Infection, Inflammatory diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Esther Lutgens
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Atherosclerosis & Ischemic Syndromes, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Immunity and Infection, Inflammatory diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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Takada Y, Fujita M, Takada YK. Virtual Screening of Protein Data Bank via Docking Simulation Identified the Role of Integrins in Growth Factor Signaling, the Allosteric Activation of Integrins, and P-Selectin as a New Integrin Ligand. Cells 2023; 12:2265. [PMID: 37759488 PMCID: PMC10527219 DOI: 10.3390/cells12182265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Integrins were originally identified as receptors for extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell-surface molecules (e.g., VCAM-1 and ICAM-1). Later, we discovered that many soluble growth factors/cytokines bind to integrins and play a critical role in growth factor/cytokine signaling (growth factor-integrin crosstalk). We performed a virtual screening of protein data bank (PDB) using docking simulations with the integrin headpiece as a target. We showed that several growth factors (e.g., FGF1 and IGF1) induce a integrin-growth factor-cognate receptor ternary complex on the surface. Growth factor/cytokine mutants defective in integrin binding were defective in signaling functions and act as antagonists of growth factor signaling. Unexpectedly, several growth factor/cytokines activated integrins by binding to the allosteric site (site 2) in the integrin headpiece, which is distinct from the classical ligand (RGD)-binding site (site 1). Since 25-hydroxycholesterol, a major inflammatory mediator, binds to site 2, activates integrins, and induces inflammatory signaling (e.g., IL-6 and TNFα secretion), it has been proposed that site 2 is involved in inflammatory signaling. We showed that several inflammatory factors (CX3CL1, CXCL12, CCL5, sPLA2-IIA, and P-selectin) bind to site 2 and activate integrins. We propose that site 2 is involved in the pro-inflammatory action of these proteins and a potential therapeutic target. It has been well-established that platelet integrin αIIbβ3 is activated by signals from the inside of platelets induced by platelet agonists (inside-out signaling). In addition to the canonical inside-out signaling, we showed that αIIbβ3 can be allosterically activated by inflammatory cytokines/chemokines that are stored in platelet granules (e.g., CCL5, CXCL12) in the absence of inside-out signaling (e.g., soluble integrins in cell-free conditions). Thus, the allosteric activation may be involved in αIIbβ3 activation, platelet aggregation, and thrombosis. Inhibitory chemokine PF4 (CXCL4) binds to site 2 but did not activate integrins, Unexpectedly, we found that PF4/anti-PF4 complex was able to activate integrins, indicating that the anti-PF4 antibody changed the phenotype of PF4 from inhibitory to inflammatory. Since autoantibodies to PF4 are detected in vaccine-induced thrombocytopenic thrombosis (VIPP) and autoimmune diseases (e.g., SLE, and rheumatoid arthritis), we propose that this phenomenon is related to the pathogenesis of these diseases. P-selectin is known to bind exclusively to glycans (e.g., sLex) and involved in cell-cell interaction by binding to PSGL-1 (CD62P glycoprotein ligand-1). Unexpectedly, through docking simulation, we discovered that the P-selectin C-type lectin domain functions as an integrin ligand. It is interesting that no one has studied whether P-selectin binds to integrins in the last few decades. The integrin-binding site and glycan-binding site were close but distinct. Also, P-selectin lectin domain bound to site 2 and allosterically activated integrins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshikazu Takada
- Department of Dermatology, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (M.F.); (Y.K.T.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Masaaki Fujita
- Department of Dermatology, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (M.F.); (Y.K.T.)
| | - Yoko K. Takada
- Department of Dermatology, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (M.F.); (Y.K.T.)
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Takada YK, Shimoda M, Takada Y. CD40L Activates Platelet Integrin αIIbβ3 by Binding to the Allosteric Site (Site 2) in a KGD-Independent Manner and HIGM1 Mutations Are Clustered in the Integrin-Binding Sites of CD40L. Cells 2023; 12:1977. [PMID: 37566056 PMCID: PMC10416995 DOI: 10.3390/cells12151977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
CD40L is expressed in activated T cells, and it plays a major role in immune response and is a major therapeutic target for inflammation. High IgM syndrome type 1 (HIGM1) is a congenital functional defect in CD40L/CD40 signaling due to defective CD40L. CD40L is also stored in platelet granules and transported to the surface upon platelet activation. Platelet integrin αIIbβ3 is known to bind to fibrinogen and activation of αIIbβ3 is a key event that triggers platelet aggregation. Also, the KGD motif is critical for αIIbβ3 binding and the interaction stabilizes thrombus. Previous studies showed that CD40L binds to and activates integrins αvβ3 and α5β1 and that HIGM1 mutations are clustered in the integrin-binding sites. However, the specifics of CD40L binding to αIIbβ3 were unclear. Here, we show that CD40L binds to αIIbβ3 in a KGD-independent manner using CD40L that lacks the KGD motif. Two HIGM1 mutants, S128E/E129G and L155P, reduced the binding of CD40L to the classical ligand-binding site (site 1) of αIIbβ3, indicating that αIIbβ3 binds to the outer surface of CD40L trimer. Also, CD40L bound to the allosteric site (site 2) of αIIbβ3 and allosterically activated αIIbβ3 without inside-out signaling. Two HIMG1 mutants, K143T and G144E, on the surface of trimeric CD40L suppressed CD40L-induced αIIbβ3 activation. These findings suggest that CD40L binds to αIIbβ3 in a manner different from that of αvβ3 and α5β1 and induces αIIbβ3 activation. HIGM1 mutations are clustered in αIIbβ3 binding sites in CD40L and are predicted to suppress thrombus formation and immune responses through αIIbβ3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko K. Takada
- Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, UC Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA (M.S.)
| | - Michiko Shimoda
- Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, UC Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA (M.S.)
| | - Yoshikazu Takada
- Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, UC Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA (M.S.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, UC Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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Takada YK, Simon SI, Takada Y. The C-type lectin domain of CD62P (P-selectin) functions as an integrin ligand. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201747. [PMID: 37184585 PMCID: PMC10130748 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Recognition of integrins by CD62P has not been reported and this motivated a docking simulation using integrin αvβ3 as a target. We predicted that the C-type lectin domain of CD62P functions as a potential integrin ligand and observed that it specifically bound to soluble β3 and β1 integrins. Known inhibitors of the interaction between CD62P-PSGL-1 did not suppress the binding, whereas the disintegrin domain of ADAM-15, a known integrin ligand, suppressed recognition by the lectin domain. Furthermore, an R16E/K17E mutation in the predicted integrin-binding interface located outside of the glycan-binding site within the lectin domain, strongly inhibited CD62P binding to integrins. In contrast, the E88D mutation that strongly disrupts glycan binding only slightly affected CD62P-integrin recognition, indicating that the glycan and integrin-binding sites are distinct. Notably, the lectin domain allosterically activated integrins by binding to the allosteric site 2. We conclude that CD62P-integrin binding may function to promote a diverse set of cell-cell adhesive interactions given that β3 and β1 integrins are more widely expressed than PSGL-1 that is limited to leukocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko K Takada
- Department of Dermatology, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Scott I Simon
- Department of Dermatology, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, UC Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Yoshikazu Takada
- Department of Dermatology, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
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Gc JB, Chen J, Pokharel SM, Mohanty I, Mariasoosai C, Obi P, Panipinto P, Bandyopadhyay S, Bose S, Natesan S. Molecular basis for the recognition of 24-(S)-hydroxycholesterol by integrin αvβ3. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9166. [PMID: 37280310 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36040-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that oxysterols such as 25-hydroxycholesterol (25HC) are biologically active and involved in many physiological and pathological processes. Our previous study demonstrated that 25HC induces an innate immune response during viral infections by activating the integrin-focal adhesion kinase (FAK) pathway. 25HC produced the proinflammatory response by binding directly to integrins at a novel binding site (site II) and triggering the production of proinflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). 24-(S)-hydroxycholesterol (24HC), a structural isomer of 25HC, plays a critical role in cholesterol homeostasis in the human brain and is implicated in multiple inflammatory conditions, including Alzheimer's disease. However, whether 24HC can induce a proinflammatory response like 25HC in non-neuronal cells has not been studied and remains unknown. The aim of this study was to examine whether 24HC produces such an immune response using in silico and in vitro experiments. Our results indicate that despite being a structural isomer of 25HC, 24HC binds at site II in a distinct binding mode, engages in varied residue interactions, and produces significant conformational changes in the specificity-determining loop (SDL). In addition, our surface plasmon resonance (SPR) study reveals that 24HC could directly bind to integrin αvβ3, with a binding affinity three-fold lower than 25HC. Furthermore, our in vitro studies with macrophages support the involvement of FAK and NFκB signaling pathways in triggering 24HC-mediated production of TNF. Thus, we have identified 24HC as another oxysterol that binds to integrin αvβ3 and promotes a proinflammatory response via the integrin-FAK-NFκB pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeevan B Gc
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, 992020, USA
| | - Justin Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, 992020, USA
| | - Swechha M Pokharel
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99210, USA
| | - Indira Mohanty
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99210, USA
| | - Charles Mariasoosai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, 992020, USA
| | - Peter Obi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, 992020, USA
| | - Paul Panipinto
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, 992020, USA
| | - Smarajit Bandyopadhyay
- Molecular Biotechnology Core Laboratory, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Santanu Bose
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99210, USA
| | - Senthil Natesan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, 992020, USA.
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Novel Functions of Integrins as Receptors of CD154: Their Role in Inflammation and Apoptosis. Cells 2022; 11:cells11111747. [PMID: 35681441 PMCID: PMC9179867 DOI: 10.3390/cells11111747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
CD154, an inflammatory mediator also known as CD40 ligand, has been identified as a novel binding partner for some members of the integrin family. The αIIbβ3, specifically expressed on platelets, was the first integrin to be described as a receptor for CD154 after CD40. Its interaction with soluble CD154 (sCD154) highly contributes to thrombus formation and stability. Identifying αIIbβ3 opened the door for investigating other integrins as partners of CD154. The αMβ2 expressed on myeloid cells was shown capable of binding CD154 and contributing as such to cell activation, adhesion, and release of proinflammatory mediators. In parallel, α5β1 communicates with sCD154, inducing pro-inflammatory responses. Additional pathogenic effects involving apoptosis-preventing functions were exhibited by the CD154–α5β1 dyad in T cells, conferring a role for such interaction in the survival of malignant cells, as well as the persistence of autoreactive T cells. More recently, CD154 receptors integrated two new integrin members, αvβ3 and α4β1, with little known as to their biological significance in this context. This article provides an overview of the novel role of integrins as receptors of CD154 and as critical players in pro-inflammatory and apoptotic responses.
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