T cells with dual antigen specificity in T cell receptor transgenic mice rejecting allografts

E Simpson, P Chandler, A Sponaas… - European journal of …, 1995 - Wiley Online Library
E Simpson, P Chandler, A Sponaas, M Millrain, PJ Dyson
European journal of immunology, 1995Wiley Online Library
Allelic exclusion of T cell receptor (TCR) genes is incomplete: a significant percentage (10–
30%) of normal human and mouse peripheral T cells express two surface TCR α chains, and
a small percentage of peripheral human T cells have been reported to express two surface
TCR β chains. A proportion of thymocytes in TCR transgenic mice rearrange endogenous T
cell receptor genes, and peripheral T cells with two TCR α chains, transgenic and
endogenous, have been reported. T cell clones with more than a single TCR heterodimer on …
Abstract
Allelic exclusion of T cell receptor (TCR) genes is incomplete: a significant percentage (10–30%) of normal human and mouse peripheral T cells express two surface TCR α chains, and a small percentage of peripheral human T cells have been reported to express two surface TCR β chains. A proportion of thymocytes in TCR transgenic mice rearrange endogenous T cell receptor genes, and peripheral T cells with two TCR α chains, transgenic and endogenous, have been reported. T cell clones with more than a single TCR heterodimer on their surface might be expected to show specificity for more than one cognate antigen: we report here a T cell clone with dual antigen specificity, isolated from an F5 TCR influenza nucleoprotein (NP 366–374/Db)‐specific transgenic female mouse which had rejected an H‐2‐matched male skin graft. It was selected in vitro by stimulation with male H‐2b spleen cells in the absence of the NP366–374 peptide but has specificity for both H‐Y/Db and NP366–374. This contrasted with the single NP366–374/Db specificity shown by a control clone isolated from a Rag1–/– F5 mouse. The dual antigen specificity was associated with the rearrangement of endogenous TCR genes and cell surface expression of these as well as the TCR transgene.
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