Relevance of glycans in the interaction between T lymphocyte and the antigen presenting cell

Abstract

The immunological synapse promotes receptors and ligands interaction in the contact interface between the T lymphocyte and the antigen presenting cell; glycosylation of the proteins involved in this biological process favors regulation of molecular interactions and development of the T lymphocyte effector response. Glycans in the immunological synapse influence cellular and molecular processes such as folding, expression, and structural stability of proteins, they also mediate ligand-receptor interaction and propagation of the intracellular signaling or inhibition of uncontrolled cellular activation that could lead to the development of autoimmunity, among others. It has been suggested that altered glycosylation of proteins that participate in the immunological synapse affects the signaling processes and cell proliferation, as well as exacerbation of the effector mechanisms of T cells that trigger systemic damage and autoimmunity. Understanding the role of glycans in the immune response has allowed for advances in the development of immunotherapies in different fields through the controlled and specific activation of the immune response. This review describes the structural and biological aspects of glycans associated with some molecules present in the immunological synapse, providing information that allows understanding the function of glycosylation in the interaction between the T lymphocyte and the antigen-presenting cell, as well as its impact on signaling and development regulation of T lymphocytes effector response.

Keywords:

• Glycans
• immunological synapse
• N-glycosylation
• O-glycosylation
• T cells activation

Disclosure statement

The authors have declared no financial or commercial conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grants IN‐213818, IN‐218719 and IN‐218919 from PAPIIT (DGAPA, UNAM, Mexico). W. GÓMEZ-HENAO is recipient of a PhD fellowship from CONACYT (Registry 742472). W. GÓMEZ-HENAO is part of Biochemical Sciences PhD Program of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and of the Université Paris-Est Créteil. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología;Dirección general de asuntos del personal académico (DGAPA), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.