In vivo expression of a TCR antagonist: T cells escape central tolerance but are antagonized in the periphery

J Immunol. 1998 Jul 1;161(1):128-37.

Abstract

Transgenic 3.L2 T cells are stimulated by Hb(64-76)/I-Ek and are positively selected on I-Ek plus self-peptides. To this pool of self-peptides we have added a single, well-defined 3.L2 TCR antagonist (A72) in vivo. We find that mice expressing both the 3.L2 TCR and A72 have a minimal loss of T cells expressing the clonotypic TCR in the thymus and spleen. Importantly, the proliferative response of 3.L2 x A72 splenocytes is significantly reduced compared with splenocytes from 3.L2 mice. This reduced response can be attributed to peripheral antagonism. Thus we have identified a new class of self-ligands whose predominant effect is constitutive peripheral antagonism rather than negative selection. The net effect of these ligands is to avoid potential self-reactivity while maintaining as large a repertoire as possible.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigen-Presenting Cells / metabolism
  • Chickens
  • Clone Cells
  • Hemoglobins / genetics
  • Hemoglobins / immunology
  • Hemoglobins / pharmacology*
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / immunology
  • Immune Tolerance* / drug effects
  • Ligands
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Lymphocyte Count
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred AKR
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Muramidase / genetics
  • Muramidase / immunology
  • Peptide Fragments / genetics
  • Peptide Fragments / immunology
  • Peptide Fragments / pharmacology*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Spleen / cytology
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Spleen / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism*
  • Thymus Gland / cytology
  • Thymus Gland / immunology
  • Thymus Gland / metabolism
  • Transgenes / immunology

Substances

  • Hemoglobins
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class II
  • Ligands
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • hemoglobin (64-76)
  • hen egg lysozyme peptide (46-61)
  • Muramidase