Constraints in antigen presentation severely restrict T cell recognition of the allogeneic fetus
J. Clin. Invest. Adrian Erlebacher, et al. 117:1399 doi:10.1172/JCI28214 [Go to this article.]

Figure 5
Maternal BM3 cells directly alloreactive with paternal H-2K^b show immune ignorance during gestation. CBA females mated to either CBA males or B6 males were adoptively transferred with CFSE-labeled BM3 T cells in during the first half of gestation (E5.5–E10.5). Splenocytes and implantation sites (pooled decidua/placentas) were analyzed by flow cytometry either 2 days later (early gestation, E7.5–E9.5) or 6–7 days later (late gestation, E13.5–E17.5). Percentages indicate the fraction of BM3 cells with CFSE^undilutedCD69^lo or CFSE^undilutedCD44^lo naive phenotypes (cells in the lower-right quadrant). The total number of BM3 cells recovered from implantation sites is noted. Some mice were also stimulated by the intravenous injection of 5 × 10⁶ B6CBAF1 splenocytes at the times indicated before sacrifice. Implantation sites are not shown for these mice since they showed a dramatic loss of BM3 cells from blood and implantation sites, likely due to their retention within secondary lymphoid organs. Data are representative of n = 4–7 mice per group in 2 independent experiments. In additional experiments, n = 6 CBA females mated to B6 males also failed to show evidence of TCR engagement in transferred BM3 cells when assayed for proliferation alone.