title: Evaluation of the functional equivalence of major histocompatibility complex class II A and E complexes.
abstract: Most mice display two conventional major histocompatibility complex class II isotypes, A and E. Several A+E- strains have been observed, but never any that are A-E+. Because of this and because of hints from several lines of functional analysis, it has been proposed that the two isotypes might not operate equivalently. This proposition has not been directly testable until now because of the lack of an E-only strain. We report the production of such mice, exploiting previously created class II-transgenic and class II-"knock-out" lines. A+E-, A-E-, and A-E+ littermates have been compared by a number of parameters. We find that E and A molecules are, for the most part, functionally equivalent. However, subtle differences are seen in their ability to engage CD4 molecules on immature thymocytes, and in the profile of receptors on T cells selected into the periphery.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire des Eucaryotes du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cosgrove
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bodmer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bogue
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benoist
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mathis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA; D005260:Female; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D004247:DNA