Diverse T cell receptor beta chain usage by rat encephalitogenic T cells reactive to residues 68-88 of myelin basic protein.
Encephalitogenic T cells not only cause experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), but they induce resistance against subsequent induction of the disease as well. The T cell receptor (TcR) of encephalitogenic T cells is believed to contribute to their vaccinating activity. Findings in support of this assumption include the apparent restricted use of particular TcR elements, such as V beta 8.2. However, results from other laboratories including ours do not support this idea. We previously showed that rat T cells reactive against the conserved encephalitogenic epitope of myelin basic protein [MBP (87-99)] use the TcR in a heterogeneous fashion (Sun, D. et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 1992. 22: 591). Here we show, in Lewis rats, that the TcR beta chain usage of T cells specific for the dominant MBP (68-88) epitope is not restricted to V beta 8.2. Not only did such cells rely on diverse V beta chains, but some non-V beta 8-bearing cells were highly encephalitogenic. We also show that antigen-presenting cells (APC) play an important role in determining the TcR usage of MBP-specific T cells. Stimulation of MBP (68-88)-specific T cell lines by cloned APC derived from different sources resulted in selection of encephalitogenic T cells bearing different TcR beta chains.
Sun
D
D
Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38101.
Le
J
J
Coleclough
C
C
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000276:immunology; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000939:Epitopes; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; C079716:myelin basic protein 68-88