Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol 177, 1429-1437, Copyright © 1993 by Rockefeller University Press

ARTICLES

Selective enrichment of major histocompatibility complex class II- specific autoreactive T cells in the thymic Thy0 subset [published erratum appears in J Exp Med 1993 Aug 1;178(2):following 763]

I Kariv, RR Hardy and K Hayakawa
Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111.

We show here a unique enrichment of autoreactive T cells in the CD4+ mouse thymic subset, Thy0. A single- and 10-cell AMLR (autologous mixed leukocyte reaction) assay demonstrates that more than 30% (one cell per well) and almost all (10 cells per well) Thy0 cultures from normal mice exhibit reactivity specific to autologous cells, resulting in induction of interleukin 3 secretion. In contrast, no other mature thymic or splenic CD4+ T cell subsets showed such a high frequency. The majority of this AMLR reactivity in the Thy0 subset is accounted for by reactivity with self-major histocompatibility complex class II. Furthermore, antigenic selection in generating Thy0 subset is suggested by studies with T cell hybrids from a T cell receptor (TCR) V beta transgenic mouse line, 2B4 beta EH. TCR V-gene analysis of T cell hybrids revealed that those from Thy0, half of which responded to self- class II, consisted predominantly of cells that expressed endogenous TCR V beta s alone (without the transgene), unlike hybrids generated from peripheral naive T cells. Thus, we suggest that the presence of Thy0 results from selective stimulation of cells expressing TCR with sufficient affinity for autoantigens in the thymic CD4+ T cell repertoire.
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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Gui, M., Li, J., Wen, L.-J., Hardy, R. R., Hayakawa, K. (2001). TCR{beta} Chain Influences But Does Not Solely Control Autoreactivity of V{alpha}14J281T Cells. J. Immunol. 167: 6239-6246 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fahlen, L., Oberg, L., Brannstrom, T., Khoo, N. K. S., Lendahl, U., Sentman, C. L. (2000). Ly49A expression on T cells alters T cell selection. Int Immunol 12: 215-222 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
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• van Meerwijk, J., Germain, R. (1993). Development of mature CD8+ thymocytes: selection rather than instruction?. Science 261: 911-915 [Abstract]  

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