Characterization of rat encephalitogenic T cells bearing non-V beta 8 T cell receptors. |
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Authors: | D Sun D P Gold L Smith S Brostoff C Coleclough |
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Institution: | Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38101. |
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Abstract: | In this study, we demonstrate that T cell lines specific for a synthetic peptide representing sequence 87 to 99 of myelin basic protein (MBP) are encephalitogenic in Lewis rats. However, unlike syngeneic T cells specific for MBP residues 68 to 88 which exclusively use V beta 8 in their antigen receptors, these cells do not. None of the 10 T cell lines and T hybridomas specific for MBP (87-99) used V beta 8 in their T cell receptors. Our results document for the first time that rat encephalitogenic T cells do not exclusively use V beta 8 in T cell receptors that rat encephalitogenic T cells specific for MBP (87-99) are heterogeneous and that MBP (87-99) contains at least two epitopes for rat T cells. |
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