V beta repertoire in rats and implications for endogenous superantigens.
Endogenous superantigens of mice, encoded by mammary tumor virus proviral integrants, induce intrathymic deletion of entire T cell populations that express specific V beta gene products, a phenomenon proposed to be important in self-tolerance and prevention of toxic responses to exogenous microbial superantigens. Evidence for the presence of V beta selecting/deleting endogenous superantigens in other species is lacking. We report here that rats do not exhibit endogenous superantigen-induced V beta clonal deletions despite their strong response to bacterial superantigens. These findings indicate that endogenous superantigens are not obligatory in V beta repertoire shaping.
Smith
L R
LR
Department of Immunology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037.
Kono
D H
DH
Kammuller
M E
ME
Balderas
R S
RS
Theofilopoulos
A N
AN
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000276:immunology; D008324:Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta