Programmed cell death 1 ligand 2 (also known as PD-L2, B7-DC) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PDCD1LG2gene. PDCD1LG2 has also been designated as CD273 (cluster of differentiation 273). PDCD1LG2 is an immune checkpoint receptor ligand which plays a role in negative regulation of the adaptive immune response. PD-L2 is one of two known ligands for Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), the other one being PD-L1 to which it is related by a gene duplication in an ancestor of tetrapod species.
The crystal structure of murine PD-L2 bound to murine PD-1 has been determined. as well as the structure of the hPD-L2/mutant hPD-1 complex.
Function
PD-L2 binds to its receptor PD-1 with dissociation constant Kd of 11.3nM. Binding to PD-1 can activate pathways inhibiting TCR/BCR-mediated immune cell activation (for a more detailed discussion see PD-1 signaling). PD-L2 plays an important role in immune tolerance and autoimmunity. Both PD-L1 and PD-L2 can inhibit T cell proliferation and inflammatory cytokine production. Blocking PD-L2 has been shown to exacerbate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Unlike PD-L1, PD-L2 has been shown activate the immune system, but this has only been demonstrated in mice and evidence against this exists in humans. PD-L2 triggers IL-12 production in murine dendritic cells leading to T cell activation. Others have shown that treatment with PD-L2 Ig led to T helper cell proliferation.
Clinical significance
PD-L2, PD-L1, and PD-1 expressions are important in the immune response to certain cancers. Due to their role in suppressing the adaptive immune system, efforts have been made to block PD-1 and PD-L1, resulting in FDA approved inhibitors for both (see pembrolizumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab). There are still no FDA approved inhibitors for PD-L2 as of 2019.
The direct role of PD-L2 in cancer progression and immune-tumor microenvironment regulation is not as well studied as the role of PD-L1. In mouse cell cultures, PD-L2 expression on tumor cells suppressed cytotoxic T cell-mediated immune responses.
Indirectly, PD-L2 may have utility as a biomarker or prognostic indicator. PD-L2 expression has been shown to predict response to PD-1 blockade with pembrolizumab independently of PD-L1 expression. However, PD-L2 does not putatively predict outcome in cancer, with some studies suggesting it predicts negative prognoses and other studies suggesting it predicts positive prognoses.
↑"Human PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
↑"Mouse PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
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