T lymphocytes orient against the direction of fluid flow during LFA-1-mediated migration

Biophys J. 2013 Jan 22;104(2):322-31. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2012.12.007.

Abstract

As they leave the blood stream and travel to lymph nodes or sites of inflammation, T lymphocytes are captured by the endothelium and migrate along the vascular wall to permissive sites of transmigration. These processes take place under the influence of hemodynamic shear stress; therefore, we investigated how migrational speed and directionality are influenced by variations in shear stress. We examined human effector T lymphocytes on intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1)-coated surfaces under the influence of shear stresses from 2 to 60 dyn.cm(-2). T lymphocytes were shown to respond to shear stress application by a rapid (30 s) and fully reversible orientation of their migration against the fluid flow without a change in migration speed. Primary T lymphocytes migrating on ICAM-1 in the presence of uniformly applied SDF-1α were also found to migrate against the direction of shear flow. In sharp contrast, neutrophils migrating in the presence of uniformly applied fMLP and leukemic HSB2 T lymphocytes migrating on ICAM-1 alone oriented their migration downstream, with the direction of fluid flow. Our findings suggest that, in addition to biochemical cues, shear stress is a contributing factor to leukocyte migration directionality.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cell Adhesion / drug effects
  • Cell Movement* / drug effects
  • Cell Tracking
  • Humans
  • Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / metabolism*
  • Macrophage-1 Antigen / metabolism
  • Neutrophils / cytology
  • Neutrophils / drug effects
  • Rheology* / drug effects
  • Stress, Mechanical
  • T-Lymphocytes / cytology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism

Substances

  • Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1
  • Macrophage-1 Antigen