ENGAGEMENT OF THE TCR/CD3 COMPLEX STIMULATES P59FYN(T) ACTIVITY - DETECTION OF ASSOCIATED PROTEINS AT 72 KD AND 120-130 KD

Engagement of the T cell antigen-receptor complex (TcR/CD3) induces the rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of a spectrum of substrates whose modification is crucial to the activation process. Although CD4-associated p56Ick and TcR/CD3-associated p59fyn(T) could account for this cascade, TcR/CD3 driven stimulation of p59fyn(T) activity has not been demonstrated. In this study, we confirm in Brij 96 based buffers that p59fyn(T) can be co-purified in association with the TcR/CD3 complex, and further demonstrate that antibody-induced cross-linking of TcR/CD3 on the cell surface results in a dramatic increase in the detection of receptor associated kinase activity. This results in an increased phosphorylation and detection of TcR/CD3-p59fyn(T) associated zeta (16-21 kD), p72 (72 kD) and p120/130 (120-130 kD) chains. A distinction between increased recruitment and/or activity of p59fyn(T) was not possible due to the fact that receptor associated p59fyn(T) could not be detected by immunoblotting. However, an alternative approach using membrane vesicles demonstrated an anti-CD3 mediated induced increase (2-5-fold) in the phosphorylation of the fyn kinase. Augmented catalytic activity was accompanied-by p59fyn(T) labelling at the autophosphorylation site Tyr420, consistent with stimulated fyn catalytic activity, as well as the phosphorylation of polypeptides at 18-20 (TcRzeta), 31, 90 and 130 kD. Stimulation of fyn activity implicates this kinase as a mediator of the tyrosine phosphorylation events originating from the TcR/CD3 complex.