Nsc. Vanoers et al., ZAP-70 IS CONSTITUTIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH TYROSINE-PHOSPHORYLATED TCR-ZETA IN MURINE THYMOCYTES AND LYMPH-NODE T-CELLS, Immunity, 1(8), 1994, pp. 675-685
Studies with T cell lines and clones have shown that engagement of the
TCR results in the tyrosine phosphorylation of the TCR subunits. This
leads to the recruitment of the ZAP-70 protein tyrosine kinase, an in
teraction involving the two SH2-domains of ZAP-70 with tyrosine-phosph
orylated zeta and CD3. However, as previously described, murine thymoc
ytes and lymph node T cells express a constitutively tyrosine-phosphor
ylated zeta subunit in the basal state. Here, we show that a fraction
of ZAP-70 molecules are constitutively associated with tyrosine-phosph
orylated zeta. TCR ligation promotes a large increase in the tyrosine
phosphorylation of ZAP-70 as well as other TCR subunits. Genetic studi
es reveal that the constitutive ZAP-70 association with tyrosine-phosp
horylated zeta does not absolutely require either TCR or coreceptor in
teractions with MHC molecules.