Diversity of T cell receptor alpha and beta chain genes expressed by human T cells specific for similar myelin basic protein peptide/major histocompatibility complexes.
T cell receptor (TcR) alpha and beta nucleotide sequences involved in the human autoreactivity to myelin basic protein (MBP) were studied by screening cDNA libraries derived from 11 independent T lymphocyte clones (TCC) established from multiple sclerosis patients and healthy donors. The TCC with defined MBP peptide specificity and HLA-DR restriction expressed multiple TcR. Even TCC recognizing the same human MBP peptide [amino acids (aa) 139-153] in identical or very similar HLA-DR context expressed diverse TcR. Two TCC which recognized peptide aa 139-153 equally well in the context of both HLA-DR2a and -DR1 molecules used distinct TcR alpha but identical beta chains. The knowledge of TcR beta and TcR alpha chain sequences of human MBP-specific T cells will allow studies correlating structure and function of TcR and their targets in MBP autoreactivity. This may have an impact on the development of immunotherapies in multiple sclerosis.
Giegerich
G
G
Department of Neuroimmunology, Max-Planck Institute for Psychiatry, Martinsried.
Pette
M
M
Meinl
E
E
Epplen
J T
JT
Wekerle
H
H
Hinkkanen
A
A
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015551:Autoimmunity; D001483:Base Sequence; D002999:Clone Cells; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta