Naive T cell repertoire skewing in HLA-A2 individuals by a specialized rearrangement mechanism results in public memory clonotypes

J Immunol. 2011 Mar 1;186(5):2970-7. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1002764. Epub 2011 Jan 31.

Abstract

How the naive T cell repertoire arises and forms the memory repertoire is still poorly understood. This relationship was analyzed by taking advantage of the focused TCR usage in HLA-A2-restricted CD8 memory T cell responses to influenza M1(58-66). We analyzed rearranged BV19 genes from CD8 single-positive thymocytes, a surrogate for the naive repertoire, from 10 HLA-A2 individuals. CDR3 amino acid sequences associated with response to influenza were observed at higher frequencies than expected by chance, an indicator of preselection. We propose that a rearrangement mechanism involving long P-nucleotide addition from the J2.7 region explains part of this increase. Special rearrangement mechanisms can result in identical T cells in different individuals, referred to as public responses. Indeed, the rearrangements utilizing long P nucleotide additions were commonly observed in the response to the M1(58-66) epitope in 30 HLA-A2 middle-aged adults. Thus, in addition to negative and positive selection, special rearrangement mechanisms may influence the composition of the naive repertoire, resulting in more robust responses to a pathogen in some individuals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • CD8 Antigens / biosynthesis
  • CD8 Antigens / genetics
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / virology
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology*
  • Clone Cells
  • Complementarity Determining Regions / genetics
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / metabolism
  • Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte / immunology*
  • HLA-A2 Antigen / genetics
  • HLA-A2 Antigen / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Joining Region / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin Variable Region / genetics
  • Immunologic Memory / genetics*
  • Middle Aged
  • Resting Phase, Cell Cycle / genetics
  • Resting Phase, Cell Cycle / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / cytology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / virology
  • Viral Matrix Proteins / chemistry
  • Viral Matrix Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Matrix Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • CD8 Antigens
  • Complementarity Determining Regions
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • HLA-A2 Antigen
  • Immunoglobulin Joining Region
  • Immunoglobulin Variable Region
  • M1 protein, Influenza A virus
  • Viral Matrix Proteins