title: Analysis of regulatory CD8 T cells in Qa-1-deficient mice.
abstract: The mouse protein Qa-1 (HLA-E in humans) is essential for immunological protection and immune regulation. Although Qa-1 has been linked to CD8 T cell-dependent suppression, the physiological relevance of this observation is unclear. We generated mice deficient in Qa-1 to develop an understanding of this process. Qa-1-deficient mice develop exaggerated secondary CD4 responses to foreign and self peptides. Enhanced responses to proteolipid protein self peptide were associated with resistance of Qa-1-deficient CD4 T cells to Qa-1-restricted CD8 T suppressor activity and increased susceptibility to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. These findings delineate a Qa-1-dependent T cell-T cell inhibitory interaction that prevents the pathogenic expansion of autoreactive CD4 T cell populations and consequent autoimmune disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Immunology and AIDS, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikizawa
authors.forename: Linrong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Marie E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sanchirico
authors.forename: Mari L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Shinohara
authors.forename: Harvey
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cantor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D022202:Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens; C032907:Q surface antigens