FGL-1 binding to LAG-3 inhibits T cell activation via disruption of CD28 and TCR signaling

ABSTRACT Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3) is known to suppress T cell receptor (TCR) signaling by disrupting CD4/CD8 coreceptor and Lck association in the absence of ligand binding. However, the impact of Fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL-1) binding in modulating LAG-3 mediated inhibition and its specific impact on CD28 costimulatory signaling remains unclear. This study investigates the role of LAG-3/FGL-1 interaction in modulating T cell activation. Using phosphoproteomics and confocal microscopy in LAG-3+ Jurkat cells, we demonstrated that LAG-3/FGL-1 interaction suppresses T cell activation by disrupting CD28-mediated recruitment of Lck, impairing its colocalization with CD28. Importantly, this inhibition occurs independently of CD4-bound Lck, indicating that LAG-3 ligand engagement targets both free and membrane-associated Lck pools. Consequently, this leads to suppressed phosphorylation of CD28 and TCR/CD3 signaling components, broadly attenuating downstream tyrosine phosphorylation and T cell effector functions. Our findings identify the CD28-Lck axis as a critical target of LAG-3/FGL-1 inhibitory pathway and provide a rationale for therapeutic strategies that reinvigorate CD28-Lck signaling to enhance anti-tumor immunity. Competing Interest Statement M.K. serves on the scientific advisory boards of Genentech and Merck and Co. and received research support from Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., (a subsidiary of Merck and Co., Inc.), Genentech, Biogen, Novartis and the Mark Foundation. The other authors declare no competing interests.