QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF MYELIN BASIC PROTEIN-REACTIVE T-CELL ENTRYTO THE CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM BY USING OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBES COMPLEMENTARY TO VDJ JUNCTIONAL SEQUENCES OF RAT TCR BETA-CHAIN

The VDJ junctional region represents the most diverse part of the anti genic TCR. We have previously reported that of 200 sequenced TCR beta- chains of rat MBP-reactive T cells, rarely did two share sequence homo logy over the entire CDR3 region. In this study, we demonstrate that s equences of the TCR CDR3 region are excellent clonotypic markers for r at MBP-reactive T cell clones and oligonucleotide probes complementary to the CDR3 region of three T cell clones specifically recognized the TCR from which they were derived, but failed to recognize syngeneic T cells that express a similar TCR beta-chain or T cells that share bot h V beta and J beta usage. To explore this observation, we determined the ability of MBP-reactive T cell clones to enter the CNS. We were ab le to show that some MBP-reactive T cell clones have an augmented abil ity to enter the CNS and that fully-activated T cells have a higher pe netrating activity than their less-activated T cell counterparts. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.