Idiotypic T cells specific for Morbillivirus nucleocapsid protein process and present their TCR to cognate anti-idiotypic CD8+ T cells.
CD8(+) T cells are activated by the presentation of antigenic peptide through MHC class I molecules. Newly synthesized proteins formed as defective ribosomal products (DRiPs) can act as a major source of antigenic peptides for MHC class I presentation pathway. Majority of these peptides are generated from the intracellular degradation of self antigens. In the present study, we have shown that newly synthesized T cell receptor (TCR) beta chains formed as DRiPs in T cells are ubiquitinated and degraded by the proteasomes. These TCR-DRiPs are processed and presented by activated T cells to cognate anti-idiotypic CD8(+) T cells. Presentation of TCR idiopeptide (peptide derived from the variable region of idiotypic TCR) by activated T cells leads to Bcl-2 expression and cytokine secretion by anti-idiotypic CD8(+) T cells. Presentation of intracellular antigen by T cells may have important implications in immunoregulation, control of lymphotropic virus infection and autoimmune diseases.
Lal
Girdhari
G
Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
Shaila
M S
MS
Nayak
Rabindranath
R
D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018103:Morbillivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell