Role of Adrenoreceptor Signaling on Lymphocyte Migration (#25)
Patrolling lymphocytes are crucial for immunosurveillance and for eliciting efficient immune responses towards pathogens. T cells express receptors that enable them to respond to neurotransmitters including those of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) including noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline. These neurotransmitters bind to α and β adrenoreceptors (AR) inducing downstream signaling and modulating cell functions. Signaling through βAR on T cells may alter immune functions, although whether this is stimulatory or inhibitory during the context of immune responses to virus infection remains unclear. We have examined T cell responses in vivo using 2-photon microscopy to follow T cell motility and behavior and find that SNS neurotransmitters markedly and acutely alter lymphocyte dynamics. Signaling via α and β AR was required and could be blocked using selective antagonists, suggesting that adrenoceptor signaling can affect T cell functions and immunity. Hence, pharmaceutical drugs currently available targeting the α and β ARs could potentially be used to modulate immune responses to infections.