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Updated: Aug 29, 2026

Real-time Live Imaging of T-cell Signaling Complex Formation
Published on: June 23, 2013
The importance of three membrane-distal tyrosines in the adaptor protein NTAL/LAB
Surapong Koonpaew1, Erin Janssen, Minghua Zhu
1Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
Abstract:
NTAL (non-T cell activation linker)/LAB (linker for activation of B cells) is a LAT (linker for activation of T cells)-like molecule that is expressed in B cells, mast cells, natural killer cells, and monocytes. Upon engagement of the B cell receptor or Fc receptors, it is phosphorylated and interacts with Grb2. LAB is capable of rescuing thymocyte development in LAT(-/-) mice. In this study, we utilized various LAB Tyr to Phe mutants to map the phosphorylation and Grb2-binding sites of LAB. We also examined the function of these mutants by investigating their ability to rescue signaling defects in LAT-deficient Jurkat cells and thymocyte development in LAT(-/-) mice. Our results indicated that human LAB was primarily phosphorylated on three membrane-distal tyrosines, Tyr(136), Tyr(193), and Tyr(233). Mutation of these three tyrosines abolished Grb2 binding and LAB function. Our data suggested that these tyrosines are the most important tyrosines for LAB function.
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