TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantitative analysis of the T cell repertoire selected by a single peptide-major histocompatibility complex
AU - Gapin, Laurent
AU - Fukui, Yoshinori
AU - Kanellopoulos, Jean
AU - Sano, Tetsuro
AU - Casrouge, Armanda
AU - Malier, Vanessa
AU - Beaudoing, Emmanuel
AU - Gautheret, Daniel
AU - Claverie, Jean Michel
AU - Sasazuki, Takehiko
AU - Kourilsky, Philippe
PY - 1998/6/1
Y1 - 1998/6/1
N2 - The positive selection of CD4+ T cells requires the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules in the thymus, but the role of self-peptides complexed to class II molecules is still a matter of debate. Recently, it was observed that transgenic mice expressing a single peptide-MHC class II complex positively select significant numbers of diverse CD4+ T cells in the thymus. However, the number of selected T cell specificities has not been evaluated so far. Here, we have sequenced 700 junctional complementarity determining regions 3 (CDR3) from T cell receptors (TCRs) carrying Vβ11-Jβ1.1 or Vβ12-Jβ1.1 rearrangements. We found that a single peptide-MHC class II complex positively selects at least 105 different Vβ rearrangements. Our data yield a first evaluation oF the size of the T cell repertoire. In addition, they provide evidence that the single Eα52-68-I-Ab complex skews the amino acid frequency in the TCR CDR3 loop of positively selected T cells. A detailed analysis of CDR3 sequences indicates that a fraction of the β chain repertoire bears the imprint of the selecting self-peptide.
AB - The positive selection of CD4+ T cells requires the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules in the thymus, but the role of self-peptides complexed to class II molecules is still a matter of debate. Recently, it was observed that transgenic mice expressing a single peptide-MHC class II complex positively select significant numbers of diverse CD4+ T cells in the thymus. However, the number of selected T cell specificities has not been evaluated so far. Here, we have sequenced 700 junctional complementarity determining regions 3 (CDR3) from T cell receptors (TCRs) carrying Vβ11-Jβ1.1 or Vβ12-Jβ1.1 rearrangements. We found that a single peptide-MHC class II complex positively selects at least 105 different Vβ rearrangements. Our data yield a first evaluation oF the size of the T cell repertoire. In addition, they provide evidence that the single Eα52-68-I-Ab complex skews the amino acid frequency in the TCR CDR3 loop of positively selected T cells. A detailed analysis of CDR3 sequences indicates that a fraction of the β chain repertoire bears the imprint of the selecting self-peptide.
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U2 - 10.1084/jem.187.11.1871
DO - 10.1084/jem.187.11.1871
M3 - Article
C2 - 9607927
AN - SCOPUS:17644440779
VL - 187
SP - 1871
EP - 1883
JO - Journal of Experimental Medicine
JF - Journal of Experimental Medicine
SN - 0022-1007
IS - 11
ER -