Specificity of rat T cell receptor V beta chain usage in proliferative responses to staphylococcal enterotoxin B.
The staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) are potent stimulators of T cell proliferative responses in humans and in mice. In these systems, the toxins function as superantigens and stimulate T cells bearing particular V beta. Although homology between the V beta of mice and humans is limited, related V beta families may respond to certain SE in a similar fashion. In this report, we have characterized the rat T cell response to staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). Rat T cells from several lymphoid organs proliferated strongly in response to both commercially available and recombinant SEB. Using a polymerase chain reaction assay, we identified the predominant V beta families stimulated by this enterotoxin. The T cell receptor V beta elements used by rat T cells were similar to but not completely identical with those used by mice. The V beta profile stimulated depended on the purity of the SEB preparation used.
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Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, Denver, CO 80262.
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D000818:Animals; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D004768:Enterotoxins; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; C031818:enterotoxin B, staphylococcal