Critical role of Lck in L-selectin signaling induced by sulfatides engagement

Recruitment of leukocytes onto inflamed tissues is an important physiological event, in which L-selectin plays an essential role in initial leukocyte capture and at the same time, triggers cell signaling. Lck is a member of the Src family of protein tyrosine kinases and is critical for T cell activation triggered by receptor ligation. Here, we demonstrated that Lck was associated directly with and phosphorylated the L-selectin cytoplasmic tail upon L-selectin engagement with sulfatides. Through the direct interaction with ZAP-70 and c-Abl via its Src homology 2 (SH2) and SH3 domains, Lck organized a signaling complex at the cytoplasmic tail of L-selectin. In the cells with Lck knockdown by small interfering RNA treatment, L-selectin signaling was suppressed dramatically, as indicated by reduced phosphorylation of c-Abl and ZAP-70. Re-expression of wild-type or constitutively active but not kinase-dead murine Lck rescued the phosphorylation completely, but the SH2 domain mutant or the SH3/SH2 double mutant of murine Lck had no effect. These results suggest that Lck plays a critical role in L- selectin signaling upon sulfatides stimulation.