Skip to main content
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1990 Aug;87(16):6186–6190. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.16.6186

Positive selection of transgenic receptor-bearing thymocytes by Kb antigen is altered by Kb mutations that involve peptide binding.

W C Sha 1, C A Nelson 1, R D Newberry 1, J K Pullen 1, L R Pease 1, J H Russell 1, D Y Loh 1
PMCID: PMC54497  PMID: 2117275

Abstract

A specific interaction between the class I major histocompatibility complex molecule Kb and thymocytes expressing the antigen receptor from the cytolytic T lymphocyte 2C enhances maturation of T cells of the CD8 lineage in transgenic mice. By analyzing transgenic mice backcrossed to Kbm mutant strains of mice, we have identified five bm mutations of the Kb antigen-encoding gene that alter the positive selection of thymocytes induced by Kb antigen. Compared with Kb, Kbm10 and Kbm1 did not induce significant maturation of 2C T-cell receptor-bearing thymocytes, and Kbm8 antigen positively selected for transgenic thymocytes only weakly. Altering residue 77 of Kb molecule from aspartic acid to serine made Kbm3 and Kbm11 allogeneic targets for the 2C antigen receptor and caused deletion of transgenic thymocytes. This deletion spared T cells that expressed low levels of CD8, a result differing from the total deletion of CD8-bearing T cells seen in mice that expressed the original target alloantigen Ld. This evidence indicates that (i) self-peptides bound to thymic major histocompatibility complex molecules can influence the positive selection of thymocytes and (ii) thymocytes with apparently weak interaction with self-major histocompatibility complex antigens can escape clonal deletion.

Full text

PDF
6189

Selected References

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

  1. Ajitkumar P., Geier S. S., Kesari K. V., Borriello F., Nakagawa M., Bluestone J. A., Saper M. A., Wiley D. C., Nathenson S. G. Evidence that multiple residues on both the alpha-helices of the class I MHC molecule are simultaneously recognized by the T cell receptor. Cell. 1988 Jul 1;54(1):47–56. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90178-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Babbitt B. P., Allen P. M., Matsueda G., Haber E., Unanue E. R. Binding of immunogenic peptides to Ia histocompatibility molecules. 1985 Sep 26-Oct 2Nature. 317(6035):359–361. doi: 10.1038/317359a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Berg L. J., Pullen A. M., Fazekas de St Groth B., Mathis D., Benoist C., Davis M. M. Antigen/MHC-specific T cells are preferentially exported from the thymus in the presence of their MHC ligand. Cell. 1989 Sep 22;58(6):1035–1046. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90502-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bevan M. J., Hünig T. T cells respond preferentially to antigens that are similar to self H-2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Mar;78(3):1843–1847. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.3.1843. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bevan M. J. In a radiation chimaera, host H-2 antigens determine immune responsiveness of donor cytotoxic cells. Nature. 1977 Sep 29;269(5627):417–418. doi: 10.1038/269417a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bjorkman P. J., Saper M. A., Samraoui B., Bennett W. S., Strominger J. L., Wiley D. C. The foreign antigen binding site and T cell recognition regions of class I histocompatibility antigens. Nature. 1987 Oct 8;329(6139):512–518. doi: 10.1038/329512a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Buus S., Colon S., Smith C., Freed J. H., Miles C., Grey H. M. Interaction between a "processed" ovalbumin peptide and Ia molecules. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jun;83(11):3968–3971. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.11.3968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Davis M. M., Bjorkman P. J. T-cell antigen receptor genes and T-cell recognition. Nature. 1988 Aug 4;334(6181):395–402. doi: 10.1038/334395a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dembić Z., Haas W., Zamoyska R., Parnes J., Steinmetz M., von Boehmer H. Transfection of the CD8 gene enhances T-cell recognition. Nature. 1987 Apr 2;326(6112):510–511. doi: 10.1038/326510a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Finberg R., Burakoff S. J., Cantor H., Benacerraf B. Biological significance of alloreactivity: T cells stimulated by Sendai virus-coated syngeneic cells specifically lyse allogeneic target cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Oct;75(10):5145–5149. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.10.5145. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Garrett T. P., Saper M. A., Bjorkman P. J., Strominger J. L., Wiley D. C. Specificity pockets for the side chains of peptide antigens in HLA-Aw68. Nature. 1989 Dec 7;342(6250):692–696. doi: 10.1038/342692a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hämmerling G. J., Rüsch E., Tada N., Kimura S., Hämmerling U. Localization of allodeterminants on H-2Kb antigens determined with monoclonal antibodies and H-2 mutant mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Aug;79(15):4737–4741. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.15.4737. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Jones B., Janeway C. A., Jr Cooperative interaction of B lymphocytes with antigen-specific helper T lymphocytes is MHC restricted. Nature. 1981 Aug 6;292(5823):547–549. doi: 10.1038/292547a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kappler J. W., Roehm N., Marrack P. T cell tolerance by clonal elimination in the thymus. Cell. 1987 Apr 24;49(2):273–280. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90568-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kappler J. W., Staerz U., White J., Marrack P. C. Self-tolerance eliminates T cells specific for Mls-modified products of the major histocompatibility complex. Nature. 1988 Mar 3;332(6159):35–40. doi: 10.1038/332035a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kaye J., Hsu M. L., Sauron M. E., Jameson S. C., Gascoigne N. R., Hedrick S. M. Selective development of CD4+ T cells in transgenic mice expressing a class II MHC-restricted antigen receptor. Nature. 1989 Oct 26;341(6244):746–749. doi: 10.1038/341746a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kisielow P., Blüthmann H., Staerz U. D., Steinmetz M., von Boehmer H. Tolerance in T-cell-receptor transgenic mice involves deletion of nonmature CD4+8+ thymocytes. Nature. 1988 Jun 23;333(6175):742–746. doi: 10.1038/333742a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kisielow P., Teh H. S., Blüthmann H., von Boehmer H. Positive selection of antigen-specific T cells in thymus by restricting MHC molecules. Nature. 1988 Oct 20;335(6192):730–733. doi: 10.1038/335730a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kranz D. M., Sherman D. H., Sitkovsky M. V., Pasternack M. S., Eisen H. N. Immunoprecipitation of cell surface structures of cloned cytotoxic T lymphocytes by clone-specific antisera. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Jan;81(2):573–577. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.2.573. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Kruisbeek A. M., Mond J. J., Fowlkes B. J., Carmen J. A., Bridges S., Longo D. L. Absence of the Lyt-2-,L3T4+ lineage of T cells in mice treated neonatally with anti-I-A correlates with absence of intrathymic I-A-bearing antigen-presenting cell function. J Exp Med. 1985 May 1;161(5):1029–1047. doi: 10.1084/jem.161.5.1029. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. MacDonald H. R., Schneider R., Lees R. K., Howe R. C., Acha-Orbea H., Festenstein H., Zinkernagel R. M., Hengartner H. T-cell receptor V beta use predicts reactivity and tolerance to Mlsa-encoded antigens. Nature. 1988 Mar 3;332(6159):40–45. doi: 10.1038/332040a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Nathenson S. G., Geliebter J., Pfaffenbach G. M., Zeff R. A. Murine major histocompatibility complex class-I mutants: molecular analysis and structure-function implications. Annu Rev Immunol. 1986;4:471–502. doi: 10.1146/annurev.iy.04.040186.002351. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Nikolić-Zugić J., Bevan M. J. Role of self-peptides in positively selecting the T-cell repertoire. Nature. 1990 Mar 1;344(6261):65–67. doi: 10.1038/344065a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Pullen J. K., Hunt H. D., Horton R. M., Pease L. R. The functional significance of two amino acid polymorphisms in the antigen-presenting domain of class I MHC molecules. Molecular dissection of Kbm3. J Immunol. 1989 Sep 1;143(5):1674–1679. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Russell J. H., Dobos C. B. Characterization of a "heteroclitic" cytotoxic lymphocyte clone: heterogeneity of receptors or signals? J Immunol. 1983 Feb;130(2):538–541. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Saito H., Kranz D. M., Takagaki Y., Hayday A. C., Eisen H. N., Tonegawa S. A third rearranged and expressed gene in a clone of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Nature. 1984 Nov 1;312(5989):36–40. doi: 10.1038/312036a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Sha W. C., Nelson C. A., Newberry R. D., Kranz D. M., Russell J. H., Loh D. Y. Positive and negative selection of an antigen receptor on T cells in transgenic mice. Nature. 1988 Nov 3;336(6194):73–76. doi: 10.1038/336073a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Sha W. C., Nelson C. A., Newberry R. D., Kranz D. M., Russell J. H., Loh D. Y. Selective expression of an antigen receptor on CD8-bearing T lymphocytes in transgenic mice. Nature. 1988 Sep 15;335(6187):271–274. doi: 10.1038/335271a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Sherman L. A., Randolph C. P. Monoclonal anti-H-2Kb antibodies detect serological differences between H-2Kb mutants. Immunogenetics. 1981;12(1-2):183–186. doi: 10.1007/BF01561661. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Sprent J., Webb S. R. Function and specificity of T cell subsets in the mouse. Adv Immunol. 1987;41:39–133. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2776(08)60030-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Teh H. S., Kishi H., Scott B., Von Boehmer H. Deletion of autospecific T cells in T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mice spares cells with normal TCR levels and low levels of CD8 molecules. J Exp Med. 1989 Mar 1;169(3):795–806. doi: 10.1084/jem.169.3.795. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Teh H. S., Kisielow P., Scott B., Kishi H., Uematsu Y., Blüthmann H., von Boehmer H. Thymic major histocompatibility complex antigens and the alpha beta T-cell receptor determine the CD4/CD8 phenotype of T cells. Nature. 1988 Sep 15;335(6187):229–233. doi: 10.1038/335229a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Wraith D. C., McDevitt H. O., Steinman L., Acha-Orbea H. T cell recognition as the target for immune intervention in autoimmune disease. Cell. 1989 Jun 2;57(5):709–715. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90786-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Zinkernagel R. M., Callahan G. N., Althage A., Cooper S., Klein P. A., Klein J. On the thymus in the differentiation of "H-2 self-recognition" by T cells: evidence for dual recognition? J Exp Med. 1978 Mar 1;147(3):882–896. doi: 10.1084/jem.147.3.882. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES