Co-stimulation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells with IL-2 and anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies induces phosphorylation of CREB.

Phosphorylation of the cAMP-response element binding protein CREB within 1 h of CD2 but not CD3 cross-linking of human PBMC was recently demonstrated. The absence of P-CREB following CD3 cross-linking was unexpected, as other laboratories reported increased phosphorylation of CREB following CD3 cross-linking of the Jurkat lymphocyte cell line. Due to Jurkat T-cells being IL-2-independent, it was postulated that IL-2 might provide a necessary co-stimulus for phosphorylation of CREB in primary lymphocytes. Therefore, P-CREB was evaluated following co-stimulation of human PBMC through the IL-2 and CD2 or CD3 receptors. IL-2 did not further augment phosphorylation of CREB following CD2 cross-linking. However, while neither IL-2 nor CD3 cross-linking alone induced P-CREB, a 4.5-fold increase in phosphorylation of CREB within 1 h of IL-2/CD3 co-stimulation was observed. Phosphorylation was not associated with the induction of cAMP, and inhibition of PKA signaling had no effect on P-CREB. Consistent with signal transduction through p56lck or p59fyn, inhibition of PTK signaling reduced phosphorylation 50%. Interestingly, inhibiting PKC signaling with calphostin C further increased P-CREB levels 3-fold over that observed in IL-2/CD3 co-stimulated cells not pretreated with a PKC inhibitor. In contrast to previous studies performed in the absence of exogenous IL-2, no increase in binding of CREB to a 32P-labeled oligonucleotide probe was observed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. These data suggest that the IL-2 and CD3 signaling pathways provide a necessary and co-operative stimulus promoting phosphorylation of CREB following receptor cross-linking.