The Journal of Immunology, Vol 151, Issue 11 6155-6165, Copyright © 1993 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

Analysis of T cell receptors specific for recognition of class IB antigens

LC Lowen, CJ Aldrich and J Forman
Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas 75235-9048.

T cells that recognize a peptide presented by a self-class IA molecule generally use a restricted repertoire of V beta and V alpha receptors. In contrast, alloreactive T cells, which recognize alloantigens that present a wide array of peptides, use a diverse repertoire, particularly in the CDR3 loop. Because the T cell repertoire directed against class IB alloantigens is not known, we examined V-D-J sequences in V beta chains specific for Qa-1 and similar sequences in both V beta and V alpha chains specific for Qa-2. We observed that 14 Qa-1-specific clones use a limited number of V beta segments and 8 of 14 express V beta 8.2 and have a conservation of charged residues in the CDR3 loop, particularly between residues 99 and 101. Thirteen of the 14 clones rearrange to the second J beta cluster and use within this cluster is restricted. Alloreactive anti-Qa-1 T cells can be assigned into three different specificity groups based on a Qa-1 modifying gene, Qdm, as well as Qa-1 epitope expression on Tap-2-deficient RMA-S cells. Receptors from members of each specificity group are more similar in their CDR3 loop to each other than members of the other groups. These data lend support to the Qa-1 class IB Ag presenting a limited number of peptides to T cells or in some manner limiting the development of a diverse alpha beta T cell repertoire. The alpha- and beta-chains from nine alloreactive anti-Qa-2 clones were analyzed. V beta use was limited to use of V beta 7 or a member of the V beta 8 family. Rearrangements were solely to the second J beta cluster. The use of V alpha and J alpha segments were diverse. Although conserved residues or motifs were observed in the CDR3 regions of both the beta- and alpha- chains, the extent of conservation was less than that for anti-Qa-1 receptors. Anti-Qa-2 T cells can be divided into two specificities, Q6 and Q7. No common features were apparent between these groups.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. Chen, L. Zhang, B. Liang, Y. Saenger, J. Li, L. Chess, and H. Jiang Perceiving the avidity of T cell activation can be translated into peripheral T cell regulation PNAS, December 18, 2007; 104(51): 20472 - 20477. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Y. Chiang and I. Stroynowski The Role of Structurally Conserved Class I MHC in Tumor Rejection: Contribution of the Q8 Locus J. Immunol., August 15, 2006; 177(4): 2123 - 2130. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Davies, S. Lopez-Briones, H. Ong, C. O'Neil-Marshall, F. A. Lemonnier, K. Nagaraju, E. S. Metcalf, and M. J. Soloski Infection-Induced Expansion of a MHC Class Ib-Dependent Intestinal Intraepithelial {gamma}{delta} T Cell Subset J. Immunol., June 1, 2004; 172(11): 6828 - 6837. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Martinozzi, R. Pacasova, H.-J. Boulouis, M. Ulbrecht, E. H. Weiss, F. Sigaux, and M. Pla Cutting Edge: Requirement of Class I Signal Sequence-Derived Peptides for HLA-E Recognition by a Mouse Cytotoxic T Cell Clone J. Immunol., May 15, 1999; 162(10): 5662 - 5665. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. M. Dabhi, R. Hovik, L. Van Kaer, and K. Fischer Lindahl The Alloreactive T Cell Response Against the Class Ib Molecule H2-M3 Is Specific for High Affinity Peptides J. Immunol., November 15, 1998; 161(10): 5171 - 5178. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Jiang, N. S. Braunstein, B. Yu, R. Winchester, and L. Chess CD8+ T cells control the TH phenotype of MBP-reactive CD4+ T cells in EAE mice PNAS, May 22, 2001; 98(11): 6301 - 6306. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]