Selective expression of an antigen receptor on CD8-bearing T lymphocytes in transgenic mice

Abstract

The major problem in the study of T-cell development is that of tracking thymocytes of a given specificity. Recent studies have exploited natural correlations between the expression of a particular V beta gene segment and T-cell receptor (TCR) specificity. We and others (refs 5, 6 and M. Davis, personal communication) have taken an alternative approach. We have generated transgenic mice expressing the alpha beta antigen receptor from the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte clone 2C (ref. 7). In transgenic mice of the same haplotype as the 2C clone, the 2C TCR was expressed on 20-95% of peripheral T cells. Very few of these T cells carried the CD4 antigen; the vast majority were CD4-CD8+ and were able to lyse targets with the same specificity as the original 2C clone. These results indicate that the alpha beta heterodimer transfers specificity to recipient cells as expected from earlier studies, and that receptor specificity in T-cell repertoire selection is determined by both alpha beta heterodimer and CD4 or CD8 accessory molecules.

Role of TCR‐restricting MHC density and thymic environment on selection and survival of cells expressing low‐affinity T cell receptors

“…These findings contrast with data obtained with rather higher affinity TCR, such as the 318 or 2C transgenic TCR [28,29]. In 318 TCR transgenic mice with exclusively selecting (H-2 bb ) or heterozygous H-2 haplotype (H-2 bd , H-2 bk or H-2 bq ), the percentage of peripheral CD8 + cells expressing transgenic TCR always remained above 50% independent of reduced TCR-restricting H-2D b density and independent of the presence of a thymic environment ( [14] and unpublished data).…”

CD28 Signal Enhances Apoptosis of CD8 T Cells After Strong TCR Ligation

“…To assess how CD28 and TCR avidity influence clonal expansion and depletion in peripheral T cells, we have used 2C TCR transgenic mice with or without CD28 molecules, since the specificity and avidity of the 2C TCR for Ag are well defined (14,15). 2C T cells are MHC class I restricted and are positively selected in the thymus by K b molecules.…”

Recombinant Sendai virus vectors for activated T lymphocytes

“…To confirm these observations, ie, that SeV could transduce antigen-activated T cells, we used T cells from 2C transgenic mice (2C-Tg), which were L d (a class I major histocompatibility (MHC) antigen)-reactive T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mice 27 Figure 1c). It was noted that incubation of these T cell lines with SeV for only 30 min at 371C led to a maximum expression of EGFP (data not shown).…”

“…2C transgenic mice (2C-Tg, H-2 b ), and L d -reactive T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mice 27 were kindly obtained from Dr K Onoe (Division of Immunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University). All mice were humanely maintained in specific-pathogen-free facilities and were fed standard rodent chow and tap water.…”