Lewis rat T cells can reutilize, process, and present myelin basic protein to antigen-specific T cell lines.
MHC class-II-negative astrocytes prevented from intracellular antigen (Ag) processing induce myelin basic protein (MBP)-specific short-term T cell lines to proliferate. This process results from the ability of the T cells themselves to take up, process, and present Ag to each other. The Ag-presenting function of the T cells occurred in the absence of any conventional antigen-presenting cell (APC), was independent of their T cell receptor specificity, was sensitive to chloroquine, and was prevented by anti-class-II MHC antibody. Both native and HPLC-purified MBP were effective in stimulating T cell lines, and there was no obvious benefit in using either enzymatically digested or synthetic peptide preparations of the Ag. Furthermore, the Ag-presenting T cells could take up, reutilize, and re-present Ag adsorbed to the surface of histoincompatible astrocytes. Responding T cells activated by Ag-presenting T cells in the absence of other conventional APC were fully encephalitogenic upon transfer to syngeneic recipients. These results have relevance for understanding pathogenetic mechanisms in T cell-mediated autoimmunity in the central nervous system.
St Louis
J M
JM
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Pasick
J M
JM
Stein
C
C
Freeman
D
D
Singh
B
B
Dales
S
S
Strejan
G H
GH
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011920:Rats, Inbred WF; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D001324:Autoantigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D010455:Peptides