ICOS ligation recruits the p50α PI3K regulatory subunit to the immunological synapse

ICOS ligation in concert with TCR stimulation results in strong PI3K activation in T lymphocytes. The ICOS cytoplasmic tail contains an YMFM motif that binds the p85 alpha subunit of class IA PI3K, similar to the YMNM motif of CD28, suggesting a redundant function of the two receptors in PI3K signaling. However, ICOS costimulation shows greater PI3K activity than CD28 in T cells. We show in this report that ICOS expression in activated T cells triggers the participation of p50 alpha, one of the regulatory subunits of class IA PI3Ks. Using different T-APC cell conjugate systems, we report that p50 alpha accumulates at the immunological synapse in activated but not in resting T cells. Our results demonstrate that ICOS membrane expression is involved in this process and that p50 alpha plasma membrane accumulation requires a functional YMFM Src homology 2 domain-binding motif in ICOS. We also show that ICOS triggering with its ligand, ICOSL, induces the recruitment of p50 alpha at the synapse of T cell/APC conjugates. In association with the p110 catalytic subunit, p50 alpha is known to carry a stronger lipid kinase activity compared with p85 alpha. Accordingly, we observed that ICOS engagement results in a stronger activation of PI3K. Together, these findings provide evidence that p50 alpha is likely a determining factor in ICOS-mediated PI3K activity in T cells. These results also suggest that a differential recruitment and activity of class IA PI3K subunits represents a novel mechanism in the control of PI3K signaling by costimulatory molecules.