AILIM/ICOS: a novel lymphocyte adhesion molecule

The adhesive interaction between T cells and antigen-presenting cells is required for the formation of the immunological synapse. Inducible co-stimulator (ICOS) is a third member of the CD28 family of co-stimulatory molecules. Here we describe a novel lymphocyte adhesion molecule, of relative molecular mass 47,000, designated AILIM, that is a rat homolog of ICOS. Rat AILIM was constitutively expressed on thymocytes and was induced on naive T cells after activation. Human thymoma cells bound to purified AILIM. Furthermore, cells transfected with the AILIM gene aggregated in an AILIM-dependent manner. These results suggest a novel function for AILIM/ICOS as an adhesion molecule, which plays an important role in T cell activation.