Spontaneous T-cell proliferation in the non-obese diabetic mouse to a peptide from the unique class II MHC molecule, I-Ag7, which is also protective against the development of autoimmune diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
Major histocompatibility complex class II molecules present antigenic peptides to T-cells and have an important role in T-cell thymic education. The mechanism by which major histocompatibility complex alleles confer a high genetic risk for autoimmune diabetes is not known. One hypothesis is that during positive thymic selection, the peripheral T-cell repertoire is modelled by major histocompatibility complex-restricted presentation of self major histocompatibility complex molecule-derived peptides, some of which mimic tissue autoantigens. The sequence similarity between a known T-cell epitope of glutamic acid decarboxylase-65, 509:VPPSLRTLED and the non-obese diabetic mouse class II major histocompatibility complex molecule I-Ag7 86:VPTSLRRLEQ is consistent with this.


METHODS
We measured spontaneous proliferation of peripheral T-cells from non-obese diabetic mice and other, non-diabetes-prone strains, to the I-Ag7 86-101 and glutamic acid decarboxylase-65(509-524) peptides, binding of these peptides to intact I-Ag7 and assessed the effect of tolerance induction on diabetes development, by injecting young non-obese diabetic mice with high doses of peptide.


RESULTS
T-cells from non-obese diabetic, but not other mice strains, spontaneously proliferate to the I-Ag7 86-101 and glutamic acid decarboxylase-65(509-524) peptides, but not control peptides. Both test peptides bind I-Ag7. Tolerance induction prolongs diabetes-free survival in non-obese diabetic mice when either the I-Ag7 86-101 or glutamic acid decarboxylase-65(509-524) peptide, but not control peptide, is used.


CONCLUSIONS
A peptide from the unique class II major histocompatibility complex, diabetes-susceptibility molecule, I-Ag7, presented by I-Ag7 is a target of T-cell responses in diabetes-prone nonobese diabetic mice and tolerance induction against the peptide offers appreciable protection against the development of diabetes.
Xu
X J
XJ
Department of Immunology, King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.
Gearon
C
C
Stevens
E
E
Vergani
D
D
Baum
H
H
Peakman
M
M
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000939:Epitopes; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D010446:Peptide Fragments