Abstract
The central event in thymic selection of T cells bearing alpha beta TCRs is their interaction with self-peptides bound to self-MHC molecules. With the use of transgenic mouse lines expressing a single peptide/MHC class II complex, we show that CD4+ T cells with the preferential usage of particular TCR V(alpha)s and V(beta)s were selected to mature on this complex in lines with the lower expression, whereas such CD4+ T cells were eliminated in the thymus in a line with the relatively high expression. When a low expressing line was crossed with a high expressing line, the frequency of CD4+ T cells selected by this complex markedly decreased. Thus, these results suggest that a single peptide/MHC class II complex, being affected by its cell surface density in the thymus, can serve as both positively and negatively selecting ligand in vivo.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Antigen Presentation / genetics
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Antigens
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Antigens, CD*
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Antigens, Differentiation
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Antigens, Surface
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Base Sequence
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CD24 Antigen
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CD4 Lymphocyte Count
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
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CD8 Antigens
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Cell Differentiation / drug effects
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Cell Differentiation / genetics
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Cell Differentiation / immunology
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Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / metabolism*
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Lectins, C-Type
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Ligands
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Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed
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Lymphoid Tissue / metabolism
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Membrane Glycoproteins*
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Mice, Transgenic
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Molecular Sequence Data
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NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B
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Peptide Biosynthesis*
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Peptides / immunology*
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Peptides / physiology
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Proteins
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Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / metabolism
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Spleen / cytology
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T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
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Thymus Gland / cytology
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Thymus Gland / metabolism*
Substances
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Antigens
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Antigens, CD
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Antigens, Differentiation
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Antigens, Surface
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CD24 Antigen
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CD8 Antigens
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Cd24a protein, mouse
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Histocompatibility Antigens Class II
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Lectins, C-Type
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Ligands
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Membrane Glycoproteins
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NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B
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Peptides
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Proteins
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Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta