Prion protein is a component of the multimolecular signaling complex involved in T cell activation

Abstract

In this study we analyzed the interaction of prion protein PrP C with components of glycosphingolipid‐enriched microdomains in lymphoblastoid T cells. PrP C was distributed in small clusters on the plasma membrane, as revealed by immunoelectron microscopy. PrP C is present in microdomains, since it coimmunoprecipitates with GM3 and the raft marker GM1. A strict association between PrP C and Fyn was revealed by scanning confocal microscopy and coimmunoprecipitation experiments. The phosphorylation protein ZAP‐70 was immunoprecipitated by anti‐PrP after T cell activation. These results demonstrate that PrP C interacts with ZAP‐70, suggesting that PrP C is a component of the multimolecular signaling complex within microdomains involved in T cell activation.