Both B and γ δ TCR+ lymphocytes regulate α β TCR+ lymphocytes involved in superantigen specific responses

• Published in: European journal of immunology Vol. 31; no. 9; pp. 2811 - 2817
• Main Authors: Izcue, Ana, Morales, Gracia, Minguet, Susana, Sánchez‐Movilla, Arsenio, Morales, Patricia, Martínez‐M., José A., Gaspar, María‐Luisa, Marcos, Miguel A. R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH 01.09.2001
• Subjects: Repertoire development; Superantigen; T lymphocyte; TCR
• ISSN: 0014-2980; 1521-4141
• DOI: 10.1002/1521-4141(200109)31:9<2811::AID-IMMU2811>3.0.CO;2-6

Endogenous superantigens (SAg) presented by MHC class II IA molecules induce slow‐evolving negative selection of α β T cells. The role of both B and γ δ T cells on the regulation of these SAg‐specific α β T cell responses was addressed in IAb+IEb‐ C57BL/6 mice bearing genetically induced B cell and γ δ T cell deficiencies. B lymphocytes were required in the negative selection of Vβ5+/Vβ12+ CD4+ T cells. In contrast, γ δ T cells positively stimulated the utilization of the same SAg‐responsive α β T cell subsets. These differences started in mature CD4+ thymocytes and extended to naive T cell pools for B cell negative selection, and up to memory T cells for γ δT cell influences. The levels of SAg‐responsive T cells did not vary between C57BL/6 and double deficient (B cell and γ δ T cell‐deficient) congenic mice, implying that both B and γ δ T cells acted through independent mechanisms.