Skip to main content
PMC home page
Immunology logoLink to Immunology
. 1983 May;49(1):191–199.

The role of I-J in the suppressor T-cell circuit which influences the effector stage of contact sensitivity: antigen together with syngeneic I-J region determinants induces and activates T suppressor cells.

V Colizzi, G L Asherson, B M James
PMCID: PMC1454094  PMID: 6220964

Abstract

One of the T suppressor circuits induced by picrylsulphonic acid includes the T suppressor cell (Ts-eff) which acts at the efferent stage of the contact sensitivity reaction and produces antigen-specific T suppressor factor (TsF). This factor does not act directly but arms a T acceptor cell (Tacc). This Tacc liberates a non-specific inhibitor when it is armed with TsF and then exposed to picrylated cells sharing the I-J genotype of the source of the TsF. This paper investigates the role of I-J region gene products in this T suppressor circuit. Two approaches were used. Syngeneic CBA (H-2k) lymphocytes were separated into I-J+ and I-J- cells by treatment with anti-I-Jk serum followed by panning on anti-immunoglobulin plates. The cells were then picrylated and used as a source of antigen. Alternatively, B10.A congeneic mice syngeneic (5R) or allogeneic (3R) with CBA at the I-J locus were picrylated and used similarly. The main findings were as follows. (i) The intravenous injection of picrylated I-J+ spleen cells but not a similar number of I-J- cells induced Ts-eff which blocked the transfer of contact sensitivity. Picrylated unseparated cells syngeneic, but not allogeneic, at the I-J locus were also effective. (ii) It is known that the lymphocytes of mice injected wit picrylsulphonic acid and then re-exposed to antigen by painting with picryl chloride liberate TsF in vitro. The re-exposure to antigen can be replaced by the intravenous injection of picrylated I-J+ cells or by cells syngeneic at the I-J locus the day before harvesting the spleen cells. (iii) The release of non-specific inhibitor by Tacc armed with TsF requires exposure to picrylated I-J+ cells or cells syngeneic at the I-J locus. The requirement for antigen on a cell bearing syngeneic I-J suggests that antigen together with I-J is an activation signal in this T-cell circuit. The simplest explanation is that the receptor of the pristine Ts and of the mature Ts-eff is similar to T suppressor factor.

Full text

PDF
194

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bromberg J. S., Benacerraf B., Greene M. I. Mechanisms of regulation of cell-mediated immunity. VII. Suppressor T cells induced by suboptimal doses of antigen plus an I-J-specific allogeneic effect. J Exp Med. 1981 Feb 1;153(2):437–449. doi: 10.1084/jem.153.2.437. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brondz B. D., Karaulov A. V., Chervonsky A. V., Blandova Z. K. Requirement for the location of both appropriate and irrelevant H-2 antigens on the same stimulator cell for unspecific DNA-synthesis inhibition by the H-2-antigen-primed, specific suppressor T cells. Immunogenetics. 1982;15(2):167–176. doi: 10.1007/BF00621949. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Eardley D. D., Murphy D. B., Kemp J. D., Shen F. W., Cantor H., Gershon R. K. Ly-1 inducer and Ly-1,2 acceptor T cells in the feedback suppression circuit bear an I-J-subregion controlled determinant. Immunogenetics. 1980;11(6):549–557. doi: 10.1007/BF01567824. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Janeway C. A., Wigzell H., Binz H. Two different VH gene products make up the T-cell receptors. Scand J Immunol. 1976;5(9):993–1001. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1976.tb03051.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Liew F. Y. Regulation of delayed-type hypersensitivity. VII. The role of I-J subregion gene products in the inhibition of delayed-type hypersensitivity to major histocompatibility antigens by specific suppressor T cells. Eur J Immunol. 1981 Nov;11(11):883–888. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830111107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Miller S. D., Sy M. S., Claman H. N. Suppressor T cell mechanisms in contact sensitivity. I. Efferent blockade by syninduced suppressor T cells. J Immunol. 1978 Jul;121(1):265–273. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Mitchison N. A. Allospecific T cells. Cell Immunol. 1981 Aug;62(2):258–263. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(81)90324-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Okuda K., Minami M., Furusawa M., Dorf M. E. Analysis of T cell hybridomas. II. Comparisons among three distinct types of monoclonal suppressor factors. J Exp Med. 1981 Dec 1;154(6):1838–1851. doi: 10.1084/jem.154.6.1838. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Okuda K., Minami M., Sherr D. H., Dorf M. E. Hapten-specific T cell responses to 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl acetyl. XI. Pseudogenetic restrictions of hybridoma suppressor factors. J Exp Med. 1981 Aug 1;154(2):468–479. doi: 10.1084/jem.154.2.468. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Pierres A., Bromberg J. S., Sy M. S., Benacerraf B., Greene M. I. Mechanisms of regulation of cell-mediated immunity. VI. Antigen density dependence of the induction of genetically restricted suppressor cells. J Immunol. 1980 Jan;124(1):343–348. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Streilein J. W., Gruchalla R. S. Analysis of neonatally induced tolerance of H-2 alloantigens. I. Adoptive transfer indicates that tolerance of class I and class II antigens is maintained by distinct mechanisms. Immunogenetics. 1981;12(1-2):161–173. doi: 10.1007/BF01561659. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Streilein J. W., Klein J. Neonatal tolerance of H-2 alloantigens. I. I region modulation of tolerance potential of K and D antigens. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1980 Apr 22;207(1169):461–474. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1980.0034. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Zembala M. A., Asherson G. L., James B. M., Stein V. E., Watkins M. C. Anti-haptene T suppressor factor acts through an I-J+, Ly1-2+, T acceptor cell that releases a nonspecific inhibitor of the transfer of contact sensitivity when exposed to antigen. J Immunol. 1982 Nov;129(5):1823–1829. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Zembala M., Asherson G. L., Colizzi V. Hapten-specific T suppressor factor recognizes both hapten and I-J region products on haptenized spleen cells. Nature. 1982 Jun 3;297(5865):411–413. doi: 10.1038/297411a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES