Identification of functionally relevant phoshorylatable serine clusters in the cytoplasmic region of the human CD6 lymphocyte surface receptor.

CD6 is a transmembrane receptor expressed by all T and a subset of B lymphocytes, where it physically associates with the antigen-specific receptor to modulate activation and differentiation processes through still poorly understood mechanisms. Its cytoplasmic tail lacks intrinsic catalytic activity but presents several consensus motifs for phosphorylation. The present work reports on the identification of two constitutively phosphorylated serine clusters (S480/482/484 and S560/562/565/567/568), which are embedded into Casein Kinase 2 consensus motifs, and are indispensable for proper mitogen-activated protein kinase activation following CD6 ligation.

CD6 binds to pathogen-associated molecular patterns and protects from LPS-induced septic shock.

CD6 is a lymphocyte receptor that belongs to the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich superfamily. Because some members of the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich superfamily act as pattern recognition receptors for microbial components, we studied whether CD6 shares this function. We produced a recombinant form of the ectodomain of CD6 (rsCD6), which was indistinguishable (in apparent molecular mass, antibody reactivity, and cell binding properties) from a circulating form of CD6 affinity-purified from human serum.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway activation by the CD6 lymphocyte surface receptor.

CD6 is a cell surface receptor primarily expressed on immature thymocytes and mature T and B1a lymphocytes. Through its binding to activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM/CD166), CD6 is considered to play an important role in lymphocyte development and activation. Accordingly, CD6 associates with the TCR/CD3 complex and colocalizes with it at the center of the mature immunological synapse on T lymphocytes.