Mls-1 and Mls-2 superantigens do not control susceptibility to collagen-induced arthritis in HI and HII mice.
The HI mouse line is sensitive to collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), whereas HII is refractory, although both express the H-2q permissive haplotype. The two lines also share the same T-cell receptor (TcR) gene haplotypes for alpha and beta chains. The distribution of mouse mammary tumour viruses (MMTV), which encode endogenous superantigens (SAg) such as minor leucocyte-stimulating antigens (Mls) known to modulate the available TcR-V beta repertoire, was investigated in the two lines. Mls-1 is present in HI-susceptible mice, while Mls-2 and Mls-2-like SAg are absent in both lines. This suggests that Mls antigens play no significant role in the resistance to CIA. Moreover, HI and HII exhibit close V beta gene usage as assessed by fluorescence staining with 11 V beta-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb). These results indicate that mechanisms other than clonal deletion based on V beta expression and induced by SAg are involved in the resistance of H-2q-positive mice to experimental arthritis. Yet, a slightly reduced level of V beta 5+ T cells is observed in HII animals which might correlate with the presence of Mtv-6 and Mtv-9 proviruses.
Roger
T
T
Laboratoire d'Immunodifférenciation, Université Denis Diderot, Paris, France.
Boudaly
S
S
Couderc
J
J
Seman
M
M
D000818:Animals; D001168:Arthritis / Q000276:immunology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003094:Collagen / Q000276:immunology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D006801:Humans; D008324:Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D016747:Minor Lymphocyte Stimulatory Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D018089:Superantigens / Q000276:immunology*
D016747:Minor Lymphocyte Stimulatory Antigens; D018089:Superantigens; D003094:Collagen