CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cell repertoire formation in response to varying expression of a neo-self-antigen

MA Lerman, J Larkin, C Cozzo, MS Jordan… - The Journal of …, 2004 - journals.aai.org
MA Lerman, J Larkin, C Cozzo, MS Jordan, AJ Caton
The Journal of Immunology, 2004journals.aai.org
We have examined the development of self-peptide-specific CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells
in lineages of transgenic mice that express the influenza virus PR8 hemagglutinin (HA)
under the control of several different promoters (HA transgenic mice). By mating these
lineages with TS1-transgenic mice expressing a TCR that recognizes the major IE d-
restricted determinant from HA (site 1 (S1)), we show that S1-specific T cells undergo
selection to become CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in each of the lineages, although in …
Abstract
We have examined the development of self-peptide-specific CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in lineages of transgenic mice that express the influenza virus PR8 hemagglutinin (HA) under the control of several different promoters (HA transgenic mice). By mating these lineages with TS1-transgenic mice expressing a TCR that recognizes the major IE d-restricted determinant from HA (site 1 (S1)), we show that S1-specific T cells undergo selection to become CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in each of the lineages, although in varying numbers. In some lineages, S1-specific CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells are highly abundant; indeed, TS1xHA-transgenic mice can contain as many S1-specific CD4+ T cells as are present in TS1 mice, which do not express the neo-self HA. In another lineage, however, S1-specific thymocytes are subjected to more extensive deletion and far fewer S1-specific CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells accumulate in the periphery. We show that radioresistant stromal cells can direct both deletion and CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cell selection of S1-specific thymocytes. Interestingly, even though their numbers can vary, the S1-specific CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in all cases coexist with clonally related CD4+ CD25− T cells that lack regulatory function. These findings show that the formation of the CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cell repertoire is sensitive to variations in the expression of self-peptides.
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