In vivo response of murine gamma delta T cells to a heat shock protein-derived peptide.
Recent results suggested that a large subset of heat shock protein HSP-60 reactive peripheral lymphoid gamma delta T cells preexists in normal adult mice, all members of which respond to a single segment of this common HSP. However, the experimental evidence supporting this idea involved in vitro peptide responses of gamma delta T-cell hybridomas generated from unprimed spleen cells. Here, we report an attempt to elicit a gamma delta T-cell response in vivo by stimulation of adult C57BL/10 mice with HSP-60 or an HSP-60-derived peptide fragment comprising amino acids 180-196 of mycobacterial HSP-60. Whereas no gamma delta T-cell response was detectable in mice injected with the intact protein, stimulation with the peptide altered the reactive gamma delta T-cell population in vivo. These changes were detected among hybridomas generated with cells restimulated in vitro and included a large increase in hybridizable gamma delta T cells, a nearly maximal increase in the relative frequency of HSP-60-reactive cells, and structural changes in expressed T-cell receptors of HSP-60-reactive cells. Interestingly, we failed to elicit a detectable alpha beta T-cell response to the particular peptide stimulatory for gamma delta T cells, although at least three other HSP-60 epitopes were recognized. Our data show that normal gamma delta T cells can respond in vivo to small peptide antigens. The gamma delta T-cell response to the HSP-60-derived peptide studied here is apparently independent of antigen-specific alpha beta T-cell reactivity.
Fu
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YX
Department of Medicine, National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Denver, CO 80206.
Cranfill
R
R
Vollmer
M
M
Van Der Zee
R
R
O'Brien
R L
RL
Born
W
W
D000818:Animals; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000276:immunology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
D018834:Chaperonin 60; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D011994:Recombinant Proteins