Figure 7.

Phenotype and functionality of TCR-PLP1 cells in Plp^ΔTEC and Δdendritic cell (DC) mice. (A) Peripheral phenotype of TCR-PLP1 transgenic mice on Plp^KO (n = 8), Plp^WT (n = 9), Plp^ΔTEC (n = 3), or Plp^WT ΔDC (n = 7) background. The average frequency ± SEM of CD4 T cells (upper plot), TCR-PLP1⁺ cells (Vα3.2⁺Vβ6⁺) among gated CD4 T cells (middle) and CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ cells among gated TCR-PLP1⁺ CD4 T cells (lower) are indicated. (B) Purified TCR-PLP1⁺CD25^– CD4 T cells from TCR-PLP1 mice on Plp^KO, Plp^WT, Plp^ΔTEC, or Plp^WT ΔDC background (all CD45.2) were labeled with CFSE and injected i.v. into Plp^WT (CD45.1) recipients. Three days after transfer, lymph node cells were harvested and CFSE dilution was assessed on gated CD45.2⁺ cells. Data are representative of n ≥ 4. (C) Purified TCR-PLP1⁺CD25^–CD4 T cells from TCR-PLP1 mice on Plp^KO background (CD45.1) were labeled with CFSE and injected i.v. into Plp^WT or Plp^WT ΔDC recipients (CD45.2). Three days after transfer, lymph node cells were harvested and CFSE dilution was assessed on gated CD45.2⁺ cells. The gray histogram shows the CFSE-intensity of cells transferred into control Plp^KO recipients. Data are representative of n ≥ 6. (D) Purified TCR-PLP1⁺ CD4 T cells from TCR-PLP1 mice on Plp^KO background (CD45.1) were labeled with CFSE and i.v. injected into bone marrow (BM)-chimeric recipients (MHCII^+/+ → Plp^WT controls, MHCII^–/– → Plp^WT, and MHCII^+/+ → Plp^KO) (CD45.2). Three days after transfer, lymph node cells were harvested and CFSE dilution was assessed on gated CD45.2⁺ cells. (E) Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) disease course in male Plp^WT or Plp^ΔTEC mice (non-TCR-transgenic) that had been injected i.v. with 5 × 10⁶ TCR-PLP1⁺ T cells from TCR-PLP1 Plp^KO mice 6 h before administration of PLP_9–20 in CFA. Data are from n ≥ 14 each.