Abstract
M proteins that define the serotypes of group A streptococci are powerful blastogens for human T lymphocytes. The mechanism by which they activate T cells was investigated and compared with the conventional T cell mitogen phytohemagglutinin, and the known superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin B. Although major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules are required for presentation, there is no MHC restriction, since allogeneic class II molecules presented the bacterial protein to human T cells. Type 5 M protein appears to bind class II molecules on the antigen-presenting cells and stimulate T cells bearing V beta 8 sequences. Our results indicate that this streptococcal M protein is a superantigen and suggest a possible mechanism of its role in the pathogenesis of the postinfectious autoimmune sequelae.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (425.1 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Beachey E. H., Seyer J. M., Dale J. B., Simpson W. A., Kang A. H. Type-specific protective immunity evoked by synthetic peptide of Streptococcus pyogenes M protein. Nature. 1981 Jul 30;292(5822):457–459. doi: 10.1038/292457a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Carlsson R., Fischer H., Sjögren H. O. Binding of staphylococcal enterotoxin A to accessory cells is a requirement for its ability to activate human T cells. J Immunol. 1988 Apr 15;140(8):2484–2488. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Choi Y. W., Kotzin B., Herron L., Callahan J., Marrack P., Kappler J. Interaction of Staphylococcus aureus toxin "superantigens" with human T cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Nov;86(22):8941–8945. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.22.8941. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cole B. C., Kartchner D. R., Wells D. J. Stimulation of mouse lymphocytes by a mitogen derived from Mycoplasma arthritidis. VII. Responsiveness is associated with expression of a product(s) of the V beta 8 gene family present on the T cell receptor alpha/beta for antigen. J Immunol. 1989 Jun 15;142(12):4131–4137. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dale J. B., Simpson W. A., Ofek I., Beachey E. H. Blastogenic responses of human lymphocytes to structurally defined polypeptide fragments of streptococcal M protein. J Immunol. 1981 Apr;126(4):1499–1505. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Fischer H., Dohlsten M., Lindvall M., Sjögren H. O., Carlsson R. Binding of staphylococcal enterotoxin A to HLA-DR on B cell lines. J Immunol. 1989 May 1;142(9):3151–3157. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Fleischer B., Schrezenmeier H., Conradt P. T lymphocyte activation by staphylococcal enterotoxins: role of class II molecules and T cell surface structures. Cell Immunol. 1989 Apr 15;120(1):92–101. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(89)90177-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Fleischer B., Schrezenmeier H. T cell stimulation by staphylococcal enterotoxins. Clonally variable response and requirement for major histocompatibility complex class II molecules on accessory or target cells. J Exp Med. 1988 May 1;167(5):1697–1707. doi: 10.1084/jem.167.5.1697. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Fraser J. D. High-affinity binding of staphylococcal enterotoxins A and B to HLA-DR. Nature. 1989 May 18;339(6221):221–223. doi: 10.1038/339221a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kaplan M. E., Clark C. An improved rosetting assay for detection of human T lymphocytes. J Immunol Methods. 1974 Jul;5(2):131–135. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(74)90003-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kappler J., Kotzin B., Herron L., Gelfand E. W., Bigler R. D., Boylston A., Carrel S., Posnett D. N., Choi Y., Marrack P. V beta-specific stimulation of human T cells by staphylococcal toxins. Science. 1989 May 19;244(4906):811–813. doi: 10.1126/science.2524876. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kotb M., Courtney H. S., Dale J. B., Beachey E. H. Cellular and biochemical responses of human T lymphocytes stimulated with streptococcal M proteins. J Immunol. 1989 Feb 1;142(3):966–970. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mollick J. A., Cook R. G., Rich R. R. Class II MHC molecules are specific receptors for staphylococcus enterotoxin A. Science. 1989 May 19;244(4906):817–820. doi: 10.1126/science.2658055. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Phillips G. N., Jr, Flicker P. F., Cohen C., Manjula B. N., Fischetti V. A. Streptococcal M protein: alpha-helical coiled-coil structure and arrangement on the cell surface. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Aug;78(8):4689–4693. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.8.4689. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]