In Mls-1a mice, fetal-type beta-gene rearrangements are frequent among self-anergic V beta 6 T cells.
T lymphocytes generated in the fetal and neonatal period are characterized by T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangements that lack N region nucleotides (fetal-type TCR). Using fetal-type TCR as a lineage marker, we show that such T cells are long-lived and persist in the periphery of adult mice. Moreover, in both neonatal and adult environments, upon encounter with self-antigens, they are less likely to be deleted. Inefficient clonal deletion could be due to the intrinsic properties of the T cells generated during this period, or to yet unknown properties of the perinatal thymus. Such anergic T cells constitute a subset that can further expand in vivo in an antigen-independent fashion, leaving open the possibility for self-aggression under the appropriate triggering conditions.
Rajasekar
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Department of Medicine, National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Denver, Colorado 80206.
Sirr
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McCarty
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Augustin
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D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017931:DNA Primers; D005333:Fetus; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D015759:Ionomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D016747:Minor Lymphocyte Stimulatory Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012313:RNA / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D013934:Thymectomy
D017931:DNA Primers; D016747:Minor Lymphocyte Stimulatory Antigens; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D015759:Ionomycin; D012313:RNA; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate