Cited by 275Autophagy in Disease and TherapyT-cell and B-cell ImmunologyCalcium signaling and nucleotide metabolism

Macroautophagy Regulates Energy Metabolism during Effector T Cell Activation

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Hubbard, Vanessa M, Valdor, Rut, Patel, Bindi, Singh, Rajat, Cuervo, Ana Maria, Macian, Fernando·2010·The Journal of Immunology

Abstract

Macroautophagy is a highly conserved mechanism of lysosomal-mediated protein degradation that plays a key role in maintaining cellular homeostasis by recycling amino acids, reducing the amount of damaged proteins, and regulating protein levels in response to extracellular signals. We have found that macroautophagy is induced after effector T cell activation. Engagement of the TCR and CD28 results in enhanced microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) processing, increased numbers of LC3-containing vesicles, and increased LC3 flux, indicating active autophagosome formation and clearance. The autophagosomes formed in stimulated T cells actively fuse with lysosomes to degrade their cargo. Using a conditional KO mouse model where Atg7, a critical gene for macroautophagy, is specifically deleted in T cells, we have found that macroautophagy-deficient effector Th cells have defective IL-2 and IFN-γ production and reduced proliferation after stimulation, with no significant increase in apoptosis. We have found that ATP generation is decreased when autophagy is blocked, and defects in activation-induced cytokine production are restored when an exogenous energy source is added to macroautophagy-deficient T cells. Furthermore, we present evidence showing that the nature of the cargo inside autophagic vesicles found in resting T cells differs from the cargo of autophagosomes in activated T cells, where mitochondria and other organelles are selectively excluded. These results suggest that macroautophagy is an actively regulated process in T cells that can be induced in response to TCR engagement to accommodate the bioenergetic requirements of activated T cells.

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  • Proper induction of autophagy is important for maintenance of cellular bioenergetics and sustained T cell viability after activation.

    “Proper induction of autophagy has been shown to be important for the maintenance of cellular bioenergetics and sustained T cell viability after activation (25, 26).”

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Authors
Hubbard, V. M., Valdor, R., Patel, B., Singh, R., Cuervo, A. M., & Macian, F.
Affiliations
  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine (US)
  • Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Bronx, NY 10461
  • Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Bronx, NY 10461
Venue
The Journal of Immunology
Published
2010-12
Volume
185
Issue
12
Pages
7349-7357
ISSN
  • 0022-1767 (ISSN-L)
  • 1550-6606
OpenAlex
W2145675056
Cited by
275
References
61
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 19
FWCI
12.10
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Journal of Immunology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Hispana (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5t32ca009173-35)
  • National Institute on Aging (P01AG031782, F31AG035533)
  • National Cancer Institute (T32-CA009173)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (K01DK087776)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Physiology › Calcium signaling and nucleotide metabolism
Keywords
macroautophagy, effector T cell activation, energy metabolism, autophagosome formation, autophagosome-lysosome fusion, ATG7, T helper cells, IL-2 production, IFN-gamma production, T cell proliferation, ATP production, T cell receptor signaling, CD28
MeSH terms
Autophagy-Related Protein 7, Adenosine Triphosphate, Animals, Autophagy, Energy Metabolism, T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer, Interferon-gamma, Interleukin-2, Lymphocyte Activation, Microtubule-Associated Proteins, Mitochondria, Phagosomes, Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, Apoptosis, CD28 Antigens, Mice, Knockout, Cell Proliferation, Mice

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