PD-1 and LAG-3 inhibitory co-receptors act synergistically to prevent autoimmunity in mice

J Exp Med. 2011 Feb 14;208(2):395-407. doi: 10.1084/jem.20100466. Epub 2011 Feb 7.

Abstract

Stimulatory and inhibitory co-receptors play fundamental roles in the regulation of the immune system. We describe a new mouse model of spontaneous autoimmune disease. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase-linked autoimmunity (aida) mice harbor a loss-of-function mutation in the gene encoding lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3), an inhibitory co-receptor. Although LAG-3 deficiency alone did not induce autoimmunity in nonautoimmune-prone mouse strains, it induced lethal myocarditis in BALB/c mice deficient for the gene encoding the inhibitory co-receptor programmed cell death 1 (PD-1). In addition, LAG-3 deficiency alone accelerated type 1 diabetes mellitus in nonobese diabetic mice. These results demonstrate that LAG-3 acts synergistically with PD-1 and/or other immunoregulatory genes to prevent autoimmunity in mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD / genetics
  • Antigens, CD / metabolism*
  • Antigens, Surface / genetics
  • Antigens, Surface / metabolism*
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / deficiency
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / genetics
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / metabolism*
  • Autoimmunity / genetics
  • Autoimmunity / immunology*
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Lymphocyte Activation / immunology*
  • Lymphocyte Activation Gene 3 Protein
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Microsatellite Repeats / genetics
  • Myocarditis / genetics
  • Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • Antigens, Surface
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • DNA Primers
  • Pdcd1 protein, mouse
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
  • Lymphocyte Activation Gene 3 Protein
  • Lag3 protein, mouse