title: T-cell receptor beta-chain gene usage in the T-cell recognition of Mycobacterium leprae antigens in one tuberculoid leprosy patient.
abstract: The beta chain of the T-cell antigen receptor present on 20 T-cell clones isolated from a tuberculoid leprosy patient was studied by gene rearrangement and PCR analysis. These T-cell clones all responded to Mycobacterium leprae-encoded protein antigens, and 8 of them specifically recognized peptides of the mycobacterial 65-kDa heat shock polypeptide (65hsp). All T-cell clones studied were HLA-DR-restricted (DR2 or -3). In the DR3-restricted group, 7 of 10 used a beta-chain variable region V beta 5 gene family member, whereas in the DR2-restricted group, 2 of 10 T-cell clones used a V beta 5 gene segment and 5 used the V beta 18 gene segment. The deduced amino acid sequences of the beta chain from 8 T-cell clones have revealed that 3 of 4 DR3-restricted T-cell clones expressed the V beta 5.1 gene segment whereas the fourth DR3-restricted T-cell clone employed a V beta 5 family member not previously described. The V beta 5.1-positive T-cell clones all recognized the same 65hsp peptide from residues 2 to 12. The N-D-N segment (where D is diversity) of the junctional region of these T-cell clones was very similar, despite different beta-chain joining gene segments. Of the 4 DR2-restricted T-cell clones investigated, 3 used the V beta 18 gene segment and recognized the 65hsp peptide from residues 418 to 427. In conclusion, within this panel of M. leprae-reactive T-cell clones, the DR3-restricted T-cell clones mainly used a V beta 5 gene segment, whereas the DR2-restricted clones employed preferentially the V beta 18 gene segment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohaematology and Blood Bank, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: van Schooten
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van der Stoep
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Haanen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pickering
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van den Elsen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015441:Leprosy, Tuberculoid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta