Diverse CD1d-restricted reactivity patterns of human T cells bearing "invariant" AV24BV11 TCR

Human and murine natural T (NT) cells, also referred to as NK1.1(+) or NK T cells, express TCR with homologous V regions (hAV24/BV11 and mAV14/BV8, re spectively) and conserved "invariant" TCR AVAJ junctional sequences, sugges ting recognition of closely related antigens. Murine NT cells recognize CD1 -expressing cells and are activated in a CD1-restricted fashion by several synthetic alpha-glycosylceramides, such as alpha-GalCer. Here we studied th e reactivity of human T cells against CD1d(+) cells pulsed or not with alph a-GalCer and other related ceramides. CD1d-restricted recognition of alpha- GalCer was a general and specific feature of T cell clones expressing both BV11 and canonical AV24AJ18 TCR chains. Besides, human and murine NT cells showed the same reactivity patterns against a set of related glycosylcerami des, suggesting a highly conserved mode of recognition of these antigens in humans and rodents. We also identified several AV24BV11 T cell clones self reactive against CD1(+) cells of both hemopoietic and nonhemopoietic origi n, suggesting the existence of distinct NT cell subsets differing by their ability to recognize self CD1d molecules.