Induction of antigen-specific regulatory T cells in wild-type mice: visualization and targets of suppression.
Antigen-specific transplantation tolerance in the absence of immunosuppressive drugs is a rarely achieved goal. Immune responses to Y chromosome-encoded transplantation antigens (HY) can have life-threatening consequences in the clinic. Here, we have adopted a procedure developed in T cell antigen receptor (TCR)-transgenic mice to convert naïve T cells into male-specific Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) in WT female mice. For this purpose, female mice were infused by osmotic minipumps with a single class II MHC-presented HY peptide and Tregs visualized by tetramer staining. As a result, animals developed Treg-mediated long-term tolerance to all HY transplantation antigens, irrespective of whether they were recognized by CD4 or CD8 T cells, on skin or hematopoietic grafts from male donors.
Verginis
Panayotis
P
Department of Cancer Immunology and AIDS, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
McLaughlin
Katherine A
KA
Wucherpfennig
Kai W
KW
von Boehmer
Harald
H
Apostolou
Irina
I
D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006182:H-Y Antigen; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D037182:T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D023001:Transplantation Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*
D006182:H-Y Antigen; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell