A Nongenomic Mechanism for Progesterone-mediated Immunosuppression: Inhibition of K+ Channels,Ca2+ Signaling,and Gene Expression in T Lymphocytes |
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Authors: | George R. Ehring Hubert H. Kerschbaum Claudia Eder Amber L. Neben Christopher M. Fanger Rosana M. Khoury Paul A. Negulescu Michael D. Cahalan |
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Affiliation: | From the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92697 |
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Abstract: | The mechanism by which progesterone causes localized suppression of the immune response during pregnancy has remained elusive. Using human T lymphocytes and T cell lines, we show that progesterone, at concentrations found in the placenta, rapidly and reversibly blocks voltage-gated and calcium-activated K+ channels (KV and KCa, respectively), resulting in depolarization of the membrane potential. As a result, Ca2+ signaling and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NF-AT)-driven gene expression are inhibited. Progesterone acts distally to the initial steps of T cell receptor (TCR)-mediated signal transduction, since it blocks sustained Ca2+ signals after thapsigargin stimulation, as well as oscillatory Ca2+ signals, but not the Ca2+ transient after TCR stimulation. K+ channel blockade by progesterone is specific; other steroid hormones had little or no effect, although the progesterone antagonist RU 486 also blocked KV and KCa channels. Progesterone effectively blocked a broad spectrum of K+ channels, reducing both Kv1.3 and charybdotoxin–resistant components of KV current and KCa current in T cells, as well as blocking several cloned KV channels expressed in cell lines. Progesterone had little or no effect on a cloned voltage-gated Na+ channel, an inward rectifier K+ channel, or on lymphocyte Ca2+ and Cl− channels. We propose that direct inhibition of K+ channels in T cells by progesterone contributes to progesterone-induced immunosuppression. |
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Keywords: | T lymphocyte K+ channel calcium signaling gene expression nuclear factor of activated T cells |
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