Graft rejection by T cells not restricted by conventional major histocompatibility complex molecules.
The appropriate crosses of mice lacking conventional major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I or class II molecules generate single- and double-deficient offspring. These were used as donors for skin grafts across major plus minor, or just minor, histocompatibility differences. Surprisingly, in the two circumstances, there was a rapid rejection of grafts lacking both MHC class I and class II molecules. Rejection was mediated by thymically derived CD4+ T cells of the host. We provide evidence that these T cells recognize an unconventional ligand, capable of activating a pre-formed T cell compartment but incapable of positively selecting it. The existence of this unexpected rejection phenomenon should serve to caution those aiming to engineer "universal donor" cells by simply abrogating expression of MHC class I and class II molecules.
Dierich
A
A
Laboratoire de Génétique, Moléculaire des Eucaryotes du CNRS et Unité 184 de Biologie Moléculaire de l'INSERM, Institut de Chimie Biologique, Strasbourg.
Chan
S H
SH
Benoist
C
C
Mathis
D
D
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II