title: CD8 requirements for negative selection events are directly related to the TCR-antigen interaction.
abstract: Positive selection of class I-restricted T cells has been suggested to always require the surface expression of CD8 molecules on CD4+8+ thymocytes, whilst negative selection was found to be differentially dependent, relating to the antigen being engaged by the T cell receptor (TCR). We have studied the CD8-dependency of positive and negative selection using two TCR-transgenic (Tg) mice models, which both react against the same allo-antigen, H-2kb, back crossed with mice which are deficient for the expression of CD8. Whilst CD8 expression was always required for positive selection of cells expressing high levels of the Tg-TCR, events of negative selection were differentially dependent upon CD8, reflecting the CD8-dependency of the original CTL clones. For one TCR-Tg model (derived from a CD8-dependent CTL clone), deletion of CD4+8+ thymocytes was partially dependent upon the expression of CD8, though there was still selection against Tg-TCR positive CD4+ cells, which normally exit to the periphery expressing low levels of Tg-TCR. For the other model (derived from a CD8-independent CTL clone) negative selection was unaffected by the absence of CD8. For both models the CD4-8- Tg-TCR positive population was unaffected by the absence of CD8, including, for the CD8-independent model, reduced expression of the Tg-TCR/CD3 complex. These results suggest that CD8 expression may be a prerequisite for positive selection, whilst negative selection events can occur in the absence of CD8, depending directly upon the TCR-antigen interaction.
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Immunologie INSERM-CNRS de Marseille-Luminy, France.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Curnow
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guimezanes
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Schmitt-Verhulst
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D017252:CD3 Complex; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell