PMID: 8955176Dec 15, 1996Paper

Memory T cell development in the absence of specific antigen priming

The Journal of Immunology : Official Journal of the American Association of Immunologists
W T LeeN E Street

Abstract

Numerous studies have shown that memory T cell development is Ag dependent and specific. In the present study, we show that memory responses can be made against an Ag to which there has been no prior exposure. In unimmunized DO11.10 mice, which carry alpha and beta transgenes that encode a TCR specific for OVA, CD45RB(low) memory cells express the transgenic TCR. These cells can be stimulated by OVA to proliferate and perform typical memory functions, such as secrete diverse lymphokines and provide cognate help to B cells, despite the fact that the mice were never exposed to OVA. Thus, memory cells can be generated in the absence of specific Ag. The data also demonstrate that the transgenic TCR-bearing memory T cells possess endogenous TCR alpha-chains, which permit the expression of a second TCR. In DO11.10/RAG(-/-) mice, the endogenous alpha-chains are eliminated, and the T cells can only express the transgenic TCR. In these mice, no memory cells were observed. Thus, it is the additional TCR that appears to drive memory cell generation. Once induced, memory function may be triggered through the transgenic receptor. Since dual TCR-bearing cells have been shown to exist in nontransgenic mice and humans, our results provide evid...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases occur as a result of an attack by the immune system on the body’s own tissues resulting in damage and dysfunction. There are different types of autoimmune diseases, in which there is a complex and unknown interaction between genetics and the environment. Discover the latest research on autoimmune diseases here.