Peptic fragments of bovine serum albumin bind antigen-specific T suppressor cells from orally tolerized mice.
The antigenic structures capable of binding immunoregulatory T cells have been investigated. The functional properties (suppression or help) of BSA-specific T cells from primed or orally tolerized mice with capacity to adhere to bovine serum albumin or its peptic fragments were examined in reconstitution experiments in which splenic T-cell populations together with naive B cells were transferred into irradiated syngeneic recipients. Antigen-specific T suppressor cells isolated from mice tolerized to BSA adhered to peptic fragments of BSA as well as to the intact antigen. BSA-specific T helper cells adhered only to the intact antigen. Our data suggest that the preferential activation of T suppressor cells following administration of peptic fragments may be due to their ability to adhere to such fragments. These findings offer a novel approach of separation and identification of T suppressor cells and may be useful in further studies of immunosuppression.
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D051379:Mice; D010434:Pepsin A; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D010434:Pepsin A