CD4+CD25+ T cells lyse antigen-presenting B cells by Fas-Fas ligand interaction in an epitope-specific manner.
Suppression by regulatory T cells is now acknowledged to play a key role in the down-regulation of T cell responses to foreign and self Ags. In addition to the naturally occurring CD4(+)CD25(+) population, several subtypes of induced regulatory cells have been reported, but their mechanisms of action remain unclear. Conversely, cytotoxic CD4(+) cells that lyse cells presenting their cognate peptide have been described, but their potential role in immunoregulation remains to be delineated. A CD4(+) T cell line derived from BALB/c mice immunized with peptide 21-35, containing a major T cell epitope of a common allergen, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus group 2 allergen, was found to lyse the Ag-presenting WEHI cell line via Fas-Fas ligand and only in the presence of the cognate peptide. Cytolytic activity was likewise shown for other T cell lines and occurred even after a single cycle of in vitro stimulation. Moreover, T cells that efficiently lysed WEHI cells were unresponsive to stimulation with their cognate Ag and were dependent on IL-2 for growth and survival, which was reflected in a constitutive expression of CD25 independently of activation status. Proliferating B cells were also killed by the CTLs. By lysing Ag-presenting B cells in an epitope-specific manner, the nonproliferating CTLs were shown to down-regulate the proliferation of bystander T cells. These data demonstrate that cytotoxic CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells that lack proliferation capacities have the potential to down-regulate an immune response by killing Ag-presenting B cells. This could represent an important and specific down-regulatory mechanism of secondary immune responses in vivo.
Janssens
Wim
W
Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Carlier
Vincent
V
Wu
Bo
B
VanderElst
Luc
L
Jacquemin
Marc G
MG
Saint-Remy
Jean-Marie R
JM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D024201:Bystander Effect / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D008024:Ligands; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; C505658:Fasl protein, mouse; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D019014:fas Receptor