title: Persistence of V beta 6+ T cells in Mls-1a mice. A role for the third complementarity-determining region (CDR3) of the T cell receptor beta chain in superantigen recognition.
abstract: We have studied V alpha 2 and J beta usage by V beta 6+CD4+ peripheral T cells isolated from the congenic mice strains BALB/c (Mls-1b) and BALB.D2 (Mls-1a). We found that the TCR beta-chain of V beta 6+CD4+ T cells present in adult Mls-1a mice differed from those in Mls-1b mice; the fraction of V beta 6+CD4+T cells using the J beta 2.7 segment was reduced, while the number of V beta 6+CD4+ T cells using J beta 1.2 was augmented. These results indicate that the CDR3 region of the TCR beta-chain participates in recognition of the Mls superantigen. We also found that in Mls-1a mice an increased fraction of V beta 6+CD4+ T cells expressed the V alpha 2 chain. The study of J beta usage by V beta 6+CD4+V alpha 2+ and V beta 6+CD4+V alpha 2- T cells indicates that both J beta segment and TCR V alpha 2 chain expression confer complementary protection against deletion by Mls-1a superantigen. These results suggest a novel view of Mls-1a-driven selection, where the CDR3 region of the V beta chain modulates superantigen recognition, and the affinity/avidity of the TCR-MHC-superantigen complex determine the fate of the T cell.
authors.affiliation: INSERM Unit 345, Necker Institute, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Chies
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marodon
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Joret
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Regnault
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Lembezat
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Freitas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor / Q000276:immunology; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D018089:Superantigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D018089:Superantigens