Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Isolation of Human Lymphatic Endothelial Cells by Multi-parameter Fluorescence-activated Cell Sorting
07:36

Isolation of Human Lymphatic Endothelial Cells by Multi-parameter Fluorescence-activated Cell Sorting

Published on: May 1, 2015

Lung epithelial lining fluid T cell subsets defined by distinct patterns of beta 7 and beta 1 integrin expression

D J Erle1, T Brown, D Christian

  • 1Lung Biology Center, San Francisco General Hospital, California.

American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology
|March 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

This study reveals distinct integrin profiles on T cells in blood versus lung lavage fluid. Alpha E beta 7 integrin is more prevalent on T cells in the lungs, particularly on CD8+ T cells, suggesting a role in epithelial interactions.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Integrins are cell-surface proteins crucial for cell adhesion.
  • The beta 7 integrin subunit associates with alpha subunits to form functional integrins.
  • Alpha 4 beta 7 and alpha E beta 7 are key beta 7 integrins involved in lymphocyte adhesion.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the expression of alpha 4 beta 7 and alpha E beta 7 integrins on T cells.
  • To compare integrin expression on T cells from blood versus bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF).
  • To investigate differences in integrin expression between T cell subsets in BALF.

Main Methods:

  • Flow microfluorometry was employed to quantify integrin expression.
  • T cells were isolated from peripheral blood and BALF of healthy volunteers.
  • Expression levels of alpha 4 beta 7, alpha E beta 7, and other integrins were analyzed on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.

Main Results:

  • Alpha 4 beta 7 was the dominant beta 7 integrin on blood T cells.
  • Alpha E beta 7 was predominant on BALF T cells, with varying expression levels.
  • Alpha E beta 7 expression was higher on CD8+ T cells (mean 69%) than CD4+ T cells (mean 29%) in BALF.

Conclusions:

  • Distinct integrin expression patterns exist for T cells in circulation versus the lung.
  • Alpha E beta 7 integrin plays a significant role in T cell populations within the lung's epithelial lining.
  • Subsets of BALF T cells expressing alpha E beta 7 exhibit differential integrin profiles, indicating functional specialization.

More Related Videos

Advanced Imaging of Lung Homing Human Lymphocytes in an Experimental In Vivo Model of Allergic Inflammation Based on Light-sheet Microscopy10:39

Advanced Imaging of Lung Homing Human Lymphocytes in an Experimental In Vivo Model of Allergic Inflammation Based on Light-sheet Microscopy

Published on: April 16, 2019

Isolating Bronchial Epithelial Cells from Resected Lung Tissue for Biobanking and Establishing Well-Differentiated Air-Liquid Interface Cultures08:42

Isolating Bronchial Epithelial Cells from Resected Lung Tissue for Biobanking and Establishing Well-Differentiated Air-Liquid Interface Cultures

Published on: May 26, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Integrins01:10

Integrins

Animal and protozoan cells do not have cell walls to help maintain shape and provide structural stability. Instead, these eukaryotic cells secrete a sticky mass of carbohydrates and proteins into the spaces between adjacent cells. This network of proteins and molecules is called an extracellular matrix or ECM.
Some ECM proteins assemble into a basement membrane to which the remaining components adhere. Proteoglycans typically form the bulk of the ECM while fibrous proteins, like collagen,...
Selectins01:25

Selectins

Cell adhesion is  an essential aspect of multicellularity. While stable cell interactions usually occur between cells of the same type, transient cell interactions occur between cells of different tissue types, such as between neutrophils and endothelial cells. Selectins are one class of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) that bind carbohydrate ligands to form transient cell adhesion. They are rod-like proteins with a long extracellular part of variable length ending with the lectin domain, which...
Immunoglobulin-like Cell Adhesion Molecules01:31

Immunoglobulin-like Cell Adhesion Molecules

Immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecules or Ig-CAMs are a versatile group of cell surface glycoproteins belonging to the immunoglobulin protein superfamily. Ig-CAMs possess the characteristic immunoglobulin protein domains and other domains such as the fibronectin type III domain. The Ig domains are glycosylated to varying degrees in different Ig-CAMs.
Ig-CAMs exhibit either homophilic binding (to other Ig-CAMs) or heterophilic binding (to other ligands such as integrins). While most Ig-CAMs...
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...