An inverse relationship between T cell receptor affinity and antigen dose during CD4(+) T cell responses in vivo and in vitro.
Multimeric peptide/class II MHC staining reagents were synthesized and shown to bind with appropriate specificity to T cell hybridomas. A small, expanded population of T cells detected with one of these reagents in peptide-immunized C57BL/10 mice persisted for several months. This population expanded further on secondary immunization. Equating the extent of binding of this reagent to T cell receptor affinity, we saw little correlation of immunizing peptide dose to T cell receptor affinity at the peak of the primary response. However, there was an inverse relation between peptide dose and the apparent receptor affinity of the T cells that were present several months after a primary response or after a secondary stimulation either in vivo or in vitro.
Rees
W
W
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Division of Basic Immunology, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, CO 80206, USA.
Bender
J
J
Teague
T K
TK
Kedl
R M
RM
Crawford
F
F
Marrack
P
P
Kappler
J
J
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology*; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000276:immunology; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000276:immunology; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000502:physiology*
D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell