COP9 signalosome controls the Carma1-Bcl10-Malt1 complex upon T-cell stimulation

The Carma1-Bcl10-Malt1 (CBM) complex connects T-cell receptor (TCR) signalling to the canonical I kappa B kinase (IKK)/NF (nuclear factor)-kappa B pathway. Earlier studies have indicated that the COP9 signalosome (CSN), a pleiotropic regulator of the ubiquitin/26S proteasome system, controls antigen responses in T cells. The CSN is required for the degradation of the NF-kappa B inhibitor I kappa B alpha, but other molecular targets involved in T-cell signalling remained elusive. Here, we identify the CSN subunit 5 (CSN5) as a new interactor of Malt1 and Carma1. T-cell activation triggers the recruitment of the CSN to the CBM complex, and CSN downregulation impairs TCR-induced IKK activation. Furthermore, the CSN is required for maintaining the stability of Bcl10 in response to T-cell activation. Taken together, our data provide evidence for a functional link between the evolutionarily conserved CSN and the adaptive immunoregulatory CBM complex in T cells.