Positive selection of T cells

Double-positive T cell receptor(high) thymocytes are resistant to peptide/major histocompatibility complex ligand-induced negative selection

To investigate negative selection events during intrathymic ontogeny, we established T cell receptor (TCR)-transgenic mice [N15tg/RAG-2-/- (H-2b)] expressing a single TCR specific for vesicular stomatitis virus nuclear octapeptide N52-59 (VSV8) in the context of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule, K(b). Administration of VSV8 in vivo induced apoptosis in less than 4 h, deleting the majority of immature double-positive (DP) thymocytes by 24 h. In contrast, DP TCRhigh as well as single-positive (SP) thymocytes were refractory to this death process. Moreover, DP TCRhigh cells differentiated into SP thymocytes in vitro and in vivo, maturing into functional cytotoxic T lymphocytes upon intrathymic transfer to beta RAG 2-/- recipients. Hence, negative selection processes involving MHC-bound peptide ligands are operative only prior to the late DP thymocyte stage in this MHC class I-restricted TCR transgene system.

Peptide-induced positive selection of TCR transgenic thymocytes in a coreceptor-independent manner

T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic thymocytes specific for the LCMV gp peptide are normally positively selected to the CD8 lineage. Transgenic thymocyte development was substantially reduced in the absence of these CD8 coreceptors. However, efficient positive selection was restored when TCR transgenic CD8-/- fetal thymic lobes were cultured with a peptide variant of the wild-type ligand. These mature thymocytes were functional, as shown by their ability to respond against strong peptide agonists. Additional experiments demonstrated that transgenic positive selection was peptide-specific. These results prove that CD8 does not possess essential signaling properties that are necessary for T cell development. In addition, the unilateral commitment of transgenic thymocytes to mature CD4-TCR(hi) T cells expressing intracellular perforin suggests that there must be some instructive component to CD4 down-regulation and lineage commitment during thymocyte selection.

CD8 T cells from major histocompatibility complex class II-deficient mice respond vigorously to class II molecules in a primary mixed lymphocyte reaction

Mature CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are restricted by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and class I molecules, respectively. In a primary mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), CD8+ T cells from C57BL/6 (B6) mice can respond to allo-class I molecules, but not allo-class II molecules. However, a significant fraction of CD8+ T cells from C57BL/6 class II-deficient (B6Aalpha-) mice violate this rule by responding vigorously in a MLR to class II molecules. The frequency of responding cells is approximately 50% of that of B6 CD8+ T cells responding to B6bm1 allo-class I molecules. This response requires neither appropriate co-receptor, i.e. CD4, nor exogenous lymphokines, indicating that interactions between the T cell receptors (TCR) and class II molecules are remarkably efficient. Since these CD8+ T cells are positively selected by class I molecules in the thymus of class II-deficient mice, these CD8+ T cells should interact with both classes of MHC molecules. The absence of thymic negative selection by class II molecules may result in the production of these CD8+ T cells. The data imply that a substantial fraction of CD4+CD8+ double-positive thymocytes in wild-type mice interacts with both classes of MHC molecules prior to thymic selection.

Negative selection in the thymus includes semimature T cells

The thymic medulla plays a key role in negative selection (self-tolerance induction) and contains differentiated T cells en route to the extrathymic environment. However, being relatively mature, medullary T cells are thought to be beyond the stage of tolerance induction. This paradox is resolved by the finding that medullary T cells (CD4+8- thymocytes) comprise two distinct subsets. Medullary thymocytes expressing a fully mature (HSAlo) phenotype are strongly resistant to tolerance induction, whereas cells with a semimature (HSAhi) phenotype are tolerance susceptible. These findings suggest that the differentiated T cells reaching the medulla from the cortex remain sensitive to tolerance induction for a brief period before acquiring a fully mature tolerance-resistant phenotype. The semimature subset of medullarsy T cells displays unique requirements for tolerance induction; depending upon the conditions used, tolerizing these cells can involve either a Fas (CD95)-dependent or a Fas-independent pathway.

MHC class II molecules are not required for survival of newly generated CD4+ T cells, but affect their long-term life span

We grafted fetal thymi from wild-type mice into immunodeficient RAG-2-/- or class II-/-RAG-2-/- (class II MHC-) recipients and followed the fate of naive CD4+ T cells derived from the grafts. In both types of recipients, newly generated CD4+ T cells proliferated to the same extent in the periphery and rapidly filled the empty T cell compartment. However, CD4+ T cells in class II- recipients gradually decreased in number over 6 months. These results show that interactions between the TCR and class II molecules are not required for newly generated CD4+ T cells to survive and proliferate, but are necessary to maintain the size of the peripheral T cell pool for extended periods.

Cytokine regulation of early lymphohematopoietic development

A two-step methylcellulose culture provided a method to study the differentiation of murine lymphohematopoietic progenitors. In the presence of two cytokines, one from a group consisting of Steel factor (SF) and flt3/flk2 ligand (FL) and the other from a group consisting of interleukin 6 (IL-6), G-CSF, IL-11 and IL-12, murine lymphohematopoietic progenitors proliferated and generated not only myeloid lineage cells but also committed B cell progenitors. Although somewhat less effectively than SF and FL, IL-4 also synergized with IL-6 or IL-11 in support of B lymphopoiesis. This early process of B lymphopoiesis appears to proceed through three stages: lymphohematopoietic proliferative stage, commitment stage and early B lymphoid proliferative stage. Surprisingly, IL-3 could neither replace nor act synergistically with SF, IL-4 or FL in maintaining the B lymphoid potential of the cells in the primary culture, although IL-3 was very effective in support of multilineage myeloid colony formation. In addition, when added to permissive cytokine combinations, IL-3 inhibited development of the B cell lineage. After screening available lymphohematopoietic cytokines, it was found that IL-1 (both alpha and beta) also has similar inhibitory effects on early B lymphopoiesis. Studies using in vivo transfer of primary colonies suggested that cytokine regulation of commitment to T cell lineage may also be similar to that of B cell lineage.

Cellular interactions in thymocyte development

Interactions between stromal cells and thymocytes play a crucial role in T cell development. The thymic stroma is complex and consists of epithelial cells derived from the pharyngeal region during development, together with macrophages and dendritic cells of bone marrow origin. In addition, fibroblasts and matrix molecules permeate the whole framework. It is now apparent that these individual stromal components play specialized roles at different stages of T cell differentiation. Thus, at the early CD4-8- stage of development, T cell precursors require fibroblast as well as epithelial cell interactions. Later, at the CD4+8+ stage, as well as providing low avidity TCR/MHC-peptide interactions, thymic epithelial cells have been shown to possess unique properties essential for positive selection. Dendritic cells, on the other hand, are probably efficient mediators of negative selection, but they may not be solely responsible for this activity. Alongside the functional roles of stromal cells, considerable progress is being made in unraveling the nature of the signaling pathways involved in T cell development. Identification of the pre-T cell receptor (pre-TCR) and associated signaling molecules marks an important advance in understanding the mechanisms that control gene rearrangement and allelic exclusion. In addition, a better understanding of the signaling pathways that lead to positive selection on the one hand and negative selection on the other is beginning to emerge. Many issues remain unresolved, and some are discussed in this review. What, for example, is the nature of the chemotactic factor(s) that attract stem cells to the thymus? What is the molecular basis of the essential interactions between early thymocytes and fibroblasts, and early thymocytes and epithelial cells? What is special about cortical epithelial cells in supporting positive selection? These and other issues are ripe for analysis and can now be approached using a combination of modern molecular and cellular techniques.

Positive selection of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells

Significant progress has been made in characterizing intermediates and defining individual steps of positive selection, providing important insights into mechanisms of CD4/CD8 lineage commitment. New evidence suggests that specific recognition of peptides may be important for positive selection of CD4+ T cells. Several studies have defined signal-transduction pathways important for positive selection and have provided evidence that distinct signaling pathways may regulate positive versus negative selection.

MHC class II-specific T cells can develop in the CD8 lineage when CD4 is absent

The generation of mature CD4 T cells from CD4+CD8+ precursor thymocytes usually requires corecognition of class II MHC by a TCR and CD4, while the production of mature CD8 T cells requires corecognition of class I MHC by a TCR and CD8. To assess the role of the CD4 coreceptor in development and lineage commitment, we generated CD4-deficient mice expressing a transgenic class II-specific TCR. Surprisingly, in the absence of CD4 a large number of T cells mature, but these cells appear in the CD8 lineage. Thus, when CD4 is present, the majority of immature T cells with this class II-specific TCR choose the CD4 lineage but develop in the CD8 pathway when CD4 is absent. The results indicate that even for TCRs that are not dependent on coreceptor for MHC recognition, the coreceptor can influence the lineage choice. These findings are considered in terms of a quantitative signaling model for CD4/CD8 lineage commitment.

Preferential positive selection of T lymphocytes which express two different TCR alpha chains, an endogenous and a transgenic

A hallmark of positive selection in T-cell receptor (TCR)-transgenic mice is a strong skewing towards the CD4+ or the CD8+ subset, depending on the class II or I restriction of the TCR, respectively. However, previous experiments in TCR transgenic mice specific for an Ig light chain (lambda 2(315)/I-Ed class II molecule did not fit into this scheme because the authors observed an anomalous skewing towards CD8. In this paper the authors show that endogenous TCR alpha chains are expressed on > 90% of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in this particular transgenic strain, even on a selecting H-2d haplotype. Endogenous TCR alpha chains are first detected when double-positive thymocytes down-regulate either CD4 or CD8. Endogenous V alpha seems to influence generation of T-cell subsets because CD4+ and CD8+ cells express different frequencies of endogenous V alpha 2 and V alpha 8. In the absence of endogenous TCR alpha chains in recombination-deficient TCR-transgenic severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, a strong skewing towards CD4+ T cells is seen, but such mice are severely T-cell deficient. As an explanation for these results, the authors suggest that the transgenic TCR has a too low affinity for efficient positive selection, therefore, TCR alpha gene rearrangements proceed. Endogenous TCR alpha paired with transgenic TCR beta could bind to class I or class II molecules, enhance positive selection and thereby production of CD4+ or CD8+ cells. Most of the 'mismatched' CD8+ cells are lambda 2(315)-specific and I-Ed class II restricted, and may function as idiotype-specific suppressors of B cells. These results may help explain the origin of dual TCR alpha T cells. Furthermore, the authors suggest that T cells 'mismatched' for co-receptor/TCR MHC-specificity may be enriched among dual TCR alpha T cells.