核仁复合孔相关蛋白4在活化T细胞中的功能探索

Functions of nucleolar complex associated 4 homolog in activated T cells

摘要:

核仁复合孔相关蛋白4 (nucleolar complex associated 4 homolog, NOC4L)是一种重要的核糖体生物发生因子。为从翻译调控方面初步探究其在活化后T细胞中的作用，本研究首先利用构建好的Noc4l^mCherry转基因报告小鼠，通过流式细胞术检测NOC4L在不同状态下的CD4⁺ T细胞中的表达水平；之后进一步检测在Th1和Th17细胞极化条件下，NOC4L随细胞增殖的表达情况；最后通过一系列体外实验检测在Th1和Th17细胞活化过程中与NOC4L相互作用的蛋白质，探究NOC4L发挥作用的可能机制。结果显示，NOC4L在活化的CD4⁺ T细胞中表达水平增加，并且NOC4L的表达与活化后T细胞的增殖水平及分裂特性密切相关；体外实验发现，在T细胞活化过程中，NOC4L与核糖体组装及增殖代谢相关蛋白之间存在相互作用。本研究为进一步探究辅助性T细胞的转录后调控奠定了基础，对深入理解T细胞的活化和调控机制具有重要意义。

Abstract:

Nucleolar complex associated 4 homolog (NOC4L) is a key factor in ribosome biogenesis, and this study aims to investigate its roles in activated T cells from the perspective of translation regulation. Firstly, flow cytometry was employed to determine the expression levels of NOC4L in the CD4⁺ T cells under different conditions in the transgenic reporter mice expressing Noc4l^mCherry. Subsequently, the expression of NOC4L along with cell proliferation was examined under Th1 and Th17 polarization conditions. Finally, in vitro experiments were conducted to identify the proteins interacting with NOC4L during the activation of Th1 and Th17 cells, on the basis of which the potential mechanisms of NOC4L were explored. The results showed that the expression level of NOC4L increased in activated CD4⁺ T cells, and the expression of NOC4L was closely associated with the proliferation and division of activated T cells. The in vitro experiments revealed interactions between NOC4L and proteins involved in ribosome assembly and cell proliferation during T cell activation. These findings lay a foundation for probing into the post-transcriptional regulation in helper T cells and hold profound significance for understanding the activation and regulatory mechanisms of T cells.