Regulation of lymphocyte trafficking by the autotaxin/LPA axis

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24590252
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General anatomy (including Histology/Embryology)
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: UMEMOTO Eiji 大阪大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (90452440)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SUGIURA Yuki 慶応義塾大学, 医学系研究科, 特任講師 (30590202) ; TOHYA Kazuo 関西医療大学, 保健医療学部, 教授 (90183491) ; MIYASAKA Masayuki 大阪大学, 未来戦略機構, 特任教授 (50064613)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: リゾリン脂質 / リゾホスファチジン酸 / リンパ球トラフィキング / リンパ節 / 繊維芽様細網細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Blood-borne naive lymphocytes continually migrate into lymph nodes (LNs) via specialized venules called high endothelial venules (HEVs). Once entering LNs, they actively migrate along the fibroblastic reticular cell (FRC) network scanning for cognate antigens. However, a cell-extrinsic factor regulating lymphocyte migration remains poorly understood.
Autotaxin (ATX) is a secretory enzyme that produces lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a bioactive lysophospholipid. In this study, we found that HEV endothelial cells and FRCs selectively express ATX and that ATX's end-product LPA promotes lymphocyte migration across HEVs as well as their interstitial migration in LNs. Thus, the ATX/LPA axis critically regulates multiple processes of lymphocyte migration into/within LNs.

Free Research Field

免疫生物学