C. Viret et al., Paradoxical intrathymic positive selection in mice with only a covalently presented agonist peptide, P NAS US, 98(16), 2001, pp. 9243-9248
Citations number
65
Categorie Soggetti
Multidisciplinary
Journal title
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The Y-Ae mAb and the 1H3.1 alpha beta T cell antigen receptor (TCR) are bot
h specific for the I-E alpha 52-68 peptide bound to the I-A(b) major histoc
ompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecule. Antigen-presenting cells (APC
s) from I-A(b+) mice with a natural or transgenic (Tg) I-Ea chain activate
mature 1 H3.1 T cells and cause the deletion of 1 H3.1 TCR Tg thymocytes. H
owever, 1 H3.1 T cells were neither activated nor inactivated by confrontat
ion with APCs from I-Ab-Ep mice in which I-A(b) molecules are occupied only
by the covalently associated E alpha 52-68 peptide. Instead, immature 1H3.
1 TCR Tg thymocytes were efficiently positively selected into the CD4 linea
ge in the I-Ab-Ep thymus. This selection relied on specific recognition of
the E alpha 52-68/I-A(b) complex because it was blocked by Y-Ae. 1H3.1 TCR
Tg T cells maturing in the I-Ab-Ep thymus efficiently populated the periphe
ry, displayed a naive phenotype, and were specifically reactive to the Ea52
-68 peptide or to I-A(b)+I-E alpha (+) APCs, indicating that 1 H3.1 T cells
were not antagonized in I-Ab-Ep mice. The data identify major histocompati
bility complex class II molecules with only a covalently attached self-pept
ide as a ligand for in vivo positive selection of T cells specific for the
same peptide.