PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Saurer, Leslie AU - Seibold, Inge AU - Vallan, Claudio AU - Held, Werner AU - Mueller, Christoph TI - Cutting Edge: Stimulation with the Cognate Self-Antigen Induces Expression of the Ly49A Receptor on Self-Reactive T Cells Which Modulates Their Responsiveness AID - 10.4049/jimmunol.171.12.6334 DP - 2003 Dec 15 TA - The Journal of Immunology PG - 6334--6338 VI - 171 IP - 12 4099 - http://www.jimmunol.org/content/171/12/6334.short 4100 - http://www.jimmunol.org/content/171/12/6334.full SO - J. Immunol.2003 Dec 15; 171 AB - NK cell self-tolerance is maintained by inhibitory receptors specific for MHC class I molecules. Inhibitory NK receptors are also expressed on memory CD8 T cells but their biological relevance on T cells is unclear. In this study, we describe the expression of the Ly49A receptor on a subset of autoreactive T cells which persist in mice double-transgenic for the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-derived peptide gp33 and a TCRαβ specific for the gp33. No Ly49A-expressing cells are found in TCRαβ single-transgenic mice, indicating that the presence of the autoantigen is required for Ly49A induction. Direct evidence for an Ag-specific initiation of Ly49A expression has been obtained in vitro after stimulation of autoreactive TCRαβ T cells with the cognate self-Ag. This expression of Ly49A substantially reduces Ag-specific activation of autoreactive T cells. These findings thus suggest that autoantigen-specific induction of inhibitory NK cell receptors on T cells may contribute to peripheral self-tolerance.