Involvement of multiple factors in the clonal deletion of self-reactive T cells.
Self-tolerance is primarily induced by the elimination of potentially self-reactive T cells during early development of the T cell repertoire. In the mouse, endogenous mouse mammary tumor viruses (MMTV), including minor lymphocyte-stimulating antigens and milk-transmitted exogenous MMTV, have been known to function as self-antigens inducing the clonal deletion of self-reactive T cells in a V beta-specific manner. We investigated the factors involved in the deletion of V beta 17a-bearing T cells. The results indicated that in addition to the previously reported V beta 17a deletion ligand, Mtv-3, there is a nonmilkborne gene product which progressively deletes V beta 17a (and V beta 3)-bearing T cells during aging. This suggests that clonal deletion is mediated by multiple factors and that a clonal deletion element associated with aging may play a significant role in shaping the T cell repertoire.
Abe
R
R
Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Kozak
C A
CA
Foo-Phillips
M
M
Roberts
J
J
Principato
M A
MA
D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D017637:Clonal Deletion / Q000502:physiology*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D016747:Minor Lymphocyte Stimulatory Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000939:Epitopes; D016747:Minor Lymphocyte Stimulatory Antigens; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta