Stabilized beta-catenin potentiates Fas-mediated T cell apoptosis

In response to Ag stimulation, Ag-specific T cells proliferate and accumulate in the peripheral lymphoid tissues. To avoid excessive T cell accumulation, the immune system has developed mechanisms to delete clonally expanded T cells. Fas/FasL-mediated apoptosis plays a critical role in the deletion of activated peripheral T cells, which is clearly demonstrated by superantigen (staphylococcal enterotoxin B)-induced deletion of Vbeta8(+) T cells. Using transgenic mice expressing a stabilized beta-catenin (beta-cat(Tg)), we show here that beta-catenin was able to enhance apoptosis of activated T cells by up-regulating Fas. In response to staphylococcal enterotoxin B stimulation, beta-cat(Tg) mice exhibited accelerated deletion of CD4(+)Vbeta8(+) T cells compared with wild type mice. Surface Fas levels were significantly higher on activated T cells obtained from beta-cat(Tg) mice than that from wild type mice. Additionally, T cells from beta-cat(Tg) mice were more sensitive to apoptosis induced by crosslinking Fas, activation-induced cell death, and to apoptosis induced by cytokine withdrawal. Lastly, beta-catenin bound to and stimulated the Fas promoter. Therefore, our data demonstrated that the beta-catenin pathway was able to promote the apoptosis of activated T cells in part via up-regulation of Fas.