SUPERANTIGENS AND CONVENTIONAL ANTIGENS INDUCE DIFFERENT RESPONSES INALPHA-BETA-T-CELL RECEPTOR TRANSGENIC MICE

While superantigens such as staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) have be en shown to induce both clonal deletion and clonal anergy, it is still not known why tolerance rather than memory is induced. To address thi s issue, we tested the proliferative capacity of T cells from ovalbumi n (OVA)-specific alpha beta T-cell receptor transgenic mice primed wit h either SEB emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) or with OV A peptide, the specific antigen, in CFA. By contrast cells from mice p rimed with SEB in CFA appeared to be anergic in that they were hypores ponsive to OVA peptide as well as to SEB. The anergic cells could resp ond to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and ionomycin, suggesting that a proximal signal transduction step was affected. Cells from transgeni c mice primed with OVA peptide and CFA were not anergic and in fact di splayed an enhanced response when they were challenged with OVA in vit ro. Thus, when the two antigens are emulsified in CFA and then injecte d subcutaneously, they behave very differently: the superantigen SEB i nduces anergy whereas the conventional antigen OVA induces a memory ty pe of response.