CD226 (DNAM-1) is involved in lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 costimulatory signal for naive T cell differentiation and proliferation

Upon antigen recognition by the T cell receptor, lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) physically associates with the leukocyte adhesion molecule CD226 (DNAM-1) and the protein tyrosine kinase Fyn. We show that lentiviral vector-mediated mutant (Y-F-322) CD226 transferred into naive CD4(+) helper T cells (Ths) inhibited interleukin (IL)-12-independent Th1 development initiated by CD3 and LFA-1 ligations. Moreover, proliferation induced by LFA-1 costimulatory signal was suppressed in mutant (Y-F-322) CD226-transduced naive CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in the absence of IL-2. These results suggest that CD226 is involved in LFA-1-mediated costimulatory signals for triggering naive T cell differentiation and proliferation. We also demonstrate that although LFA-1, CD226, and Fyn are polarized at the immunological synapse upon stimulation with anti-CD3 in CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, lipid rafts are polarized in CD4(+), but not CD8(+), T cells. Moreover, proliferation initiated by LFA-1 costimulatory signal is suppressed by lipid raft disruption in CD4(+), but not CD8(+), T cells, suggesting that the LFA-1 costimulatory signal is independent of lipid rafts in CD8(+) T cells.