Semaphorin 3F and neuropilin-2 control the migration of human T-cell precursors

PLoS One. 2014 Jul 28;9(7):e103405. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103405. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Neuropilins and semaphorins are known as modulators of axon guidance, angiogenesis, and organogenesis in the developing nervous system, but have been recently evidenced as also playing a role in the immune system. Here we describe the expression and role of semaphorin 3F (SEMA3F) and its receptor neuropilin-2 (NRP2) in human T cell precursors. NRP2 and SEMA3F are expressed in the human thymus, in both lymphoid and non-lymphoid compartments. SEMA3F have a repulsive effect on thymocyte migration and inhibited CXCL12- and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)-induced thymocyte migration by inhibiting cytoskeleton reorganization prior to stimuli. Moreover, NRP2 and SEMA3F are expressed in human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma primary cells. In these tumor cells, SEMA3F also blocks their migration induced by CXCL12 and S1P. Our data show that SEMA3F and NRP2 are further regulators of human thymocyte migration in physiological and pathological conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Blocking / immunology
  • Antibodies, Blocking / pharmacology
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Cell Movement / genetics*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chemokine CXCL12 / pharmacology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Gene Expression
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Lysophospholipids / pharmacology
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins / pharmacology
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / pharmacology
  • Neuropilin-2 / genetics*
  • Neuropilin-2 / immunology
  • Neuropilin-2 / metabolism
  • Precursor Cells, T-Lymphoid / metabolism*
  • Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / genetics
  • Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sphingosine / analogs & derivatives
  • Sphingosine / pharmacology
  • Thymocytes / metabolism
  • Thymus Gland / cytology
  • Thymus Gland / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibodies, Blocking
  • Chemokine CXCL12
  • Lysophospholipids
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Neuropilin-2
  • SEMA3F protein, human
  • neuropilin-2, human
  • sphingosine 1-phosphate
  • Sphingosine

Grants and funding

This work was developed in the context of the CNRS-Fiocruz Associated Laboratory of Immunology and Immunopathology. It was partially funded with grants by CNRS/Fiocruz French/Brazilian conjoint program, CNRS, The Foundation for Medical Research (FRM - France), The National League against the Cancer (France), The National Cancer Institute (France); Fiocruz, CNPq, Faperj and CAPES (Brazil); Fund for Structural Convergence of Mercosur (FOCEM/Mercosur). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.