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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Real-time Live Imaging of T-cell Signaling Complex Formation
Published on: June 23, 2013
Analysis of tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent interactions between stimulatory effector proteins and the B cell
J Yohannan1, J Wienands, K M Coggeshall
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA.
Insights
CD22 phosphorylation recruits effector proteins like Syk, Grb2, PLCgamma, and PI3K. Specific tyrosine sites on CD22 mediate these interactions, clarifying its co-receptor function in B cell signaling.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Signaling
Background:
- CD22 is a B cell glycoprotein crucial for B cell antigen receptor (BCR) signal transduction.
- BCR cross-linking induces CD22 tyrosine phosphorylation, creating binding sites for intracellular effector proteins containing Src homology 2 (SH2) domains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of CD22's co-receptor function.
- To identify specific tyrosine residues in CD22's cytoplasmic domain responsible for recruiting key signaling proteins.
Main Methods:
- Phosphopeptide mapping experiments were employed.
- Immunoprecipitation and various Far Western blot assays (including reverse Far Western) were utilized.
Main Results:
- Syk (protein tyrosine kinase) interacted with multiple CD22 phosphopeptides.
- Grb2.Sos complex exclusively bound to the Y828ENV motif via direct interaction.
- PLCgamma and PI3K directly bound only to the C-terminal Y863VTL phosphopeptide.
Conclusions:
- CD22's co-receptor function involves specific tyrosine phosphorylation sites mediating effector protein recruitment.
- Syk interacts broadly, while Grb2, PLCgamma, and PI3K show more specific binding patterns, influencing B cell signaling pathways.
Abstract:
The B cell-restricted transmembrane glycoprotein CD22 is rapidly phosphorylated on tyrosine in response to cross-linking of the B cell antigen receptor, thereby generating phosphotyrosine motifs in the cytoplasmic domain which recruit intracellular effector proteins that contain Src homology 2 domains. By virtue of its interaction with these effector proteins CD22 modulates signal transduction through the B cell antigen receptor. To define further the molecular mechanism by which CD22 mediates its co-receptor function, phosphopeptide mapping experiments were conducted to determine which of the six tyrosine residues in the cytoplasmic domain are involved in recruitment of the stimulatory effector proteins phospholipase Cgamma (PLCgamma), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), Grb2, and Syk. The results obtained indicate that the protein tyrosine kinase Syk interacts with multiple CD22-derived phosphopeptides in both immunoprecipitation and reverse Far Western assays. In contrast, the Grb2.Sos complex was observed to bind exclusively to the fourth phosphotyrosine motif (Y828ENV) from CD22 and does so via a direct interaction based on Far Western and reverse Far Western blotting. Although both PLCgamma and PI3K were observed to bind to multiple phosphopeptides in precipitation experiments, subsequent studies using reverse Far Western blot analysis demonstrated that only the carboxyl-terminal phosphopeptide of CD22 (Y863VTL) binds directly to either one. This finding suggests that PLCgamma and PI3K may be recruited to CD22 either through a direct interaction with Tyr863 or indirectly through an association with one or more intermediate proteins.
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