title: Antigen-induced apoptosis in developing T cells: a mechanism for negative selection of the T cell receptor repertoire.
abstract: Herein we have investigated the ability of antigen to induce thymocyte death by apoptosis on the basis that this may be the mechanism for the deletion of autoreactive cells during T cell development. We show that the ability of the bacterial "superantigen" staphylococcal enterotoxin B to cause specific depletion of V beta 8+ cells when added to thymus organ cultures is accompanied by DNA degradation into oligonucleosomal fragments, indicating that depletion involves apoptosis. Our results provide the first direct evidence that antigen-induced apoptosis can be triggered in developing T cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Birmingham.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Jenkinson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kingston
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Owen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival; D004249:DNA Damage; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D004768:Enterotoxins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; C026066:enterotoxin A, Staphylococcal