Autoimmune gld mutation uncouples suicide and cytokine/proliferation pathways in activated, mature T cells.
Antigen receptor-directed suicide plays an important role in the elimination of potentially autoaggressive immature T cells during thymic differentiation. Here we demonstrated evidence for a second pathway of receptor-directed suicide in mature T cells that is missing in a mutant strain (gld) of mice with an "autoimmune" lymphoproliferative syndrome. The defect is evident within the gld activated T cell and does not require the presence of an antigen-presenting cell for its expression. Receptor-driven suicide is intact in immature T cells of animals with this mutation. These results support the significance of receptor-directed suicide in the mature T cell compartment and suggest that the immune system may use three independent pathways for regulating programmed cell death in shaping and controlling the immune response.
Russell
J H
JH
Department of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis 63110.
Wang
R
R
D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000502:physiology; D017209:Apoptosis; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009154:Mutation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*