The Journal of Immunology, Vol 147, Issue 12 4109-4117, Copyright © 1991 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

Depletion of mouse alpha beta T cell antigen receptor bearing lymphocytes by neonatal monoclonal antibody treatment

PF Mixter, BC Sydora, RM Hershberg and M Kronenberg
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine.

Neonatal treatment with a monoclonal antibody specific for the alpha beta TCR results in mice with a long term, severe depletion in the number of alpha beta T cells in the periphery. Significant numbers of T cells reappear in the periphery about age 65 days, but these cells tend to lack expression of CD4 or CD8. Splenocytes of antibody-treated mice are less sensitive to mitogen stimulation or stimulation with MHC allogeneic cells. The level of serum IgG but not IgM was decreased by the treatment. Anti-alpha beta TCR antibody treatment decreased single- positive T lymphocytes that express high levels of the CD3/alpha beta TCR complex from the thymus, suggesting that the treatment could act in part by affecting negative selection of alpha beta TCR+ thymocytes. This treatment does not, however, detectably affect either the homing or the numbers of gamma delta T cells which are abundant in the intestinal epithelium, but which remain a minor population in the spleen and lymph nodes. This supports the hypothesis that gamma delta T cells are developmentally autonomous from alpha beta T cells. These mice provide an excellent model system for assessing the developmental and functional role of gamma delta T lymphocytes in vivo.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. Philpott, J. Viney, G Kay, S Rastan, E. Gardiner, S Chae, A. Hayday, and M. Owen Lymphoid development in mice congenitally lacking T cell receptor alpha beta-expressing cells Science, June 5, 1992; 256(5062): 1448 - 1452. [Abstract] [PDF]