title: V beta-specific deletion of mature thymocytes induced by the plant superantigen Urtica dioica agglutinin.
abstract: Urtica dioica agglutinin (UDA), a plant protein, is a superantigen activating in a MHC class II-restricted manner the V beta 8. 3-bearing T-cells (Galelli and Truffa-Bachi, J. Immunol. 151, 1821, 1993). Administration of UDA to adult mice provokes the clonal expansion of the responding cells which is followed by the deletion of the major fraction of the UDA-sensitive cells, whereas the remaining cells become anergic (Galelli et al., J. Immunol. 154, 2600, 1995). We have analyzed the effect of UDA on thymocytes. Injection of UDA resulted in a rapid, but transient, deletion of a large fraction of the V beta 8.3-bearing mature T-cells. In contrast to other exogenous superantigens, this deletion was not preceded by the clonal expansion of the UDA-responding thymocytes. Moreover, the V beta 8.3-bearing mature T-cells escaping the deletion were not anergic to an in vitro UDA restimulation. UDA and the other superantigens also differ as the general, V beta-unrestricted, thymic atrophy induced by classical superantigens was not observed with UDA.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'Immunophysiologie Moléculaire, Département d'Immunologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delcourt
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Peumans
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Truffa-Bachi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017635:Clonal Anergy / Q000187:drug effects*; D017637:Clonal Deletion / Q000187:drug effects*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D037102:Lectins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D037121:Plant Lectins; D010947:Plants, Toxic / Q000276:immunology*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D004768:Enterotoxins; D037102:Lectins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; C048862:stinging nettle lectin; C031818:enterotoxin B, staphylococcal