Moesin-deficient mice reveal a non-redundant role for moesin in lymphocyte homeostasis

Int Immunol. 2012 Nov;24(11):705-17. doi: 10.1093/intimm/dxs077. Epub 2012 Aug 8.

Abstract

Moesin is a member of the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) family of cytoskeletal proteins. These proteins organize membrane domains by interacting with plasma membrane proteins and the actin cytoskeleton. Because of their high sequence similarity, ERM proteins are usually thought to be functionally redundant. Lymphocytes express two ERM proteins, ezrin and moesin. Whether each ERM plays a specialized role in lymphocytes, particularly in vivo, remains unknown. Here, we show that moesin has a crucial, non-redundant role in lymphocyte homeostasis. Moesin-deficient mice exhibited decreases in both T and B cells in the peripheral blood and lymph nodes, but not in the spleen. This phenotype was recapitulated in bone marrow (BM) chimeras with a hematopoietic moesin deficiency. Although the T and B cells apparently developed without major defects in the moesin-deficient mice, T cell egress from the thymus and immature B cell egress from the BM were impaired. In the periphery, both T and B cells showed delayed egress from lymphoid organs. We showed that moesin is the primary phosphorylated ERM subject to dynamic regulation during cell shape changes and migration. Our findings identify a previously unknown, non-redundant function of moesin in lymphocyte homeostasis in regulating lymphocyte egress from lymphoid organs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Blotting, Western
  • Bone Marrow Cells / immunology
  • Bone Marrow Cells / metabolism
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / ultrastructure
  • Cell Movement / immunology
  • Cell Shape / immunology
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / immunology
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Homeostasis / immunology*
  • Lymph Nodes / cytology
  • Lymph Nodes / immunology
  • Lymph Nodes / metabolism
  • Male
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / immunology
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Microfilament Proteins / deficiency
  • Microfilament Proteins / genetics
  • Microfilament Proteins / immunology*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Phosphorylation
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Spleen / cytology
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Spleen / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Thymus Gland / cytology
  • Thymus Gland / immunology
  • Thymus Gland / metabolism

Substances

  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • ezrin
  • moesin
  • radixin