title: Efficient T cell repertoire selection in tetraparental chimeric mice independent of thymic epithelial MHC.
abstract: Nonthymic epithelial cells were compared with thymic epithelial cells for their role in T cell repertoire selection. Tetraparental aggregation chimeras were generated from T and B cell-deficient mice (H-2(d) SCID or H-2(b) Rag-/-) and thymus-deficient nude mice (H-2(b) or H-2(d)). These tetraparental mice showed primary protective CD8(+) T cell responses, after lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection, that were peptide-specifically restricted to either thymic or nonthymic epithelial MHC at comparable levels. These chimeras also mounted neutralizing IgG responses dependent on cognate CD4(+) T helper cell activity restricted to nonthymic epithelial MHC. Therefore, in contrast to earlier results with irradiation or thymus chimeras, these relatively undisturbed tetraparental mice reveal that the MHC of nonthymic epithelial cells efficiently selects a functional T cell repertoire.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Immunology, Department of Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland. marmar@pathol.unizh.ch
authors.forename: Marianne M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Martinic
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rülicke
authors.forename: Alana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Althage
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Odermatt
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Höchli
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lamarre
authors.forename: Tilman
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dumrese
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Speiser
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kyburz
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hengartner
authors.forename: Rolf M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Zinkernagel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002678:Chimera; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016513:Mice, SCID; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology