title: Identification of key amino acids of the mouse mammary tumor virus superantigen involved in the specific interaction with T-cell receptor V(beta) domains.
abstract: Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) is a retrovirus encoding a superantigen that is recognized in association with major histocompatibility complex class II by the variable region of the beta chain (V(beta)) of the T-cell receptor. The C-terminal 30 to 40 amino acids of the superantigen of different MMTVs display high sequence variability that correlates with the recognition of particular T-cell receptor V(beta) chains. Interestingly, MMTV(SIM) and mtv-8 superantigens are highly homologous but have nonoverlapping T-cell receptor V(beta) specificities. To determine the importance of these few differences for specific V(beta) interaction, we studied superantigen responses in mice to chimeric and mutant MMTV(SIM) and mtv-8 superantigens expressed by recombinant vaccinia viruses. We show that only a few changes (two to six residues) within the C terminus are necessary to modify superantigen recognition by specific V(beta)s. Thus, the introduction of the MMTV(SIM) residues 314-315 into the mtv-8 superantigen greatly decreased its V(beta)12 reactivity without gain of MMTV(SIM)-specific function. The introduction of MMTV(SIM)-specific residues 289 to 295, however, induced a recognition pattern that was a mixture of MMTV(SIM)- and mtv-8-specific V(beta) reactivities: both weak MMTV(SIM)-specific V(beta)4 and full mtv-8-specific V(beta)11 recognition were observed while V(beta)12 interaction was lost. The combination of the two MMTV(SIM)-specific regions in the mtv-8 superantigen established normal MMTV(SIM)-specific V(beta)4 reactivity and completely abolished mtv-8-specific V(beta)5, -11, and -12 interactions. These new functional superantigens with mixed V(beta) recognition patterns allowed us to precisely delineate sites relevant for molecular interactions between the SIM or mtv-8 superantigen and the T-cell receptor V(beta) domain within the 30 C-terminal residues of the viral superantigen.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland. fbaribau@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baribaud
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maillard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valsesia
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Acha-Orbea
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Diggelmann
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids; D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D008324:Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D018089:Superantigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D018089:Superantigens