tcr affinity for self-ligands influences the development and function of encephalitogenic t cells细胞受体亲和力self-ligands encephalitogenic t细胞的发育和功能的影响.pdf

TCR Affinity for Self-Ligands Influences the Development and Function of Encephalitogenic T Cells Jianwei Li1., Omar Vandal1.¤, Derek B. Sant’Angelo1,2,3* 1 Immunology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America, 2 Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States of America, 3 Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, New York, United States of America Abstract The specificity and affinity of self-reactive T cells is likely to impact the development of autoimmune-disease causing T cells in the thymus as well as their function in the periphery. We identified a naturally occurring, low affinity variant of an MBP Ac1-11/I-Au specific TCR that is known to induce EAE. Thymocytes in mice carrying the transgenes for this low affinity TCR were poorly positively selected, as compared to their high affinity TCR expressing counterparts. Nonetheless, CD4 T cells bearing the low affinity TCR accumulated in the periphery of the mice. Unlike mice expressing the high affinity TCR, these mice very rarely developed disease. However, if endogenous TCR expression was eliminated by breeding to RAG1 deficient mice, 100% of the mice carrying either the high or the low affinity versions of the TCR developed EAE. Intriguingly, while the incidence of EAE increased, the age of onset of disease in both mice was identical. These data suggest disease onset occurs during a short window of mouse development. Citation: Li J, Vandal O, Sant’Angelo DB (2011) TCR Affinity for Self-Ligands Influences the Development and Function of Encephalitogenic T Cells. PLoS ONE 6(3): e17702. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017702 Editor: Jose Alberola-Ila, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, United States of America Received December 10, 2010; A