Mycobacterium bovis strain bacillus Calmette-Guérin-induced liver granulomas contain a diverse TCR repertoire, but a monoclonal T cell population is sufficient for protective granuloma formation

J Immunol. 2001 May 15;166(10):6367-75. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.166.10.6367.

Abstract

Granuloma formation is a form of delayed-type hypersensitivity requiring CD4(+) T cells. Granulomas control the growth and dissemination of pathogens, preventing host inflammation from harming surrounding tissues. Using a murine model of Mycobacterium bovis strain bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection we studied the extent of T cell heterogeneity present in liver granulomas. We demonstrate that the TCR repertoire of granuloma-infiltrating T cells is very diverse even at the single-granuloma level, suggesting that before granuloma closure, a large number of different T cells are recruited to the lesion. At the same time, the TCR repertoire is selected, because AND TCR transgenic T cells (Valpha11/Vbeta3 anti-pigeon cytochrome c) are preferentially excluded from granulomas of BCG-infected AND mice, and cells expressing secondary endemic Vbeta-chains are enriched among AND cells homing to granulomas. Next, we addressed whether TCR heterogeneity is required for effective granuloma formation. We infected 5CC7/recombinase-activating gene 2(-/-) mice with recombinant BCG that express pigeon cytochrome c peptide in a mycobacterial 19-kDa bacterial surface lipoprotein. A CD4(+) T cell with a single specificity in the absence of CD8(+) T cells is sufficient to form granulomas and adequately control bacteria. Our study shows that expanded monoclonal T cell populations can be protective in mycobacterial infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Movement / immunology
  • Clone Cells
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / physiology
  • Granuloma / genetics
  • Granuloma / immunology*
  • Granuloma / microbiology*
  • Granuloma / pathology
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Liver / immunology*
  • Liver / microbiology*
  • Liver / pathology
  • Lymphocyte Activation / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C3H
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Mycobacterium Infections / genetics
  • Mycobacterium Infections / immunology*
  • Mycobacterium Infections / microbiology
  • Mycobacterium Infections / pathology
  • Mycobacterium bovis / immunology*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / biosynthesis*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Spleen / microbiology
  • Spleen / pathology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / pathology

Substances

  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell