Influence of T Cell Receptor Expression on Mls a Superantigen-specific T Cell Responses

Recognition of conventional foreign antigen by T cells is determined by the expression of multiple variable regions of both ol and 3 chains of the T cell receptor (TCR) oe/3 heterodimer. In contrast, there exists a class of antigens that appears to interact with the TCR c~/3 heterodimer through the variable region on the 3 chain (V3), independent of other TCR components, a property that has led to their designation as superantigens. The goal of the present study was to analyze Voe use in V36 + T cells responsive to the superantigen, Mla ~. Results indicate that while deletion of T cells expressing V36 in Mlsa-expressing mice is essentially complete and therefore appears to occur regardless of Vol usage, in vitro Mls ' stimulation of T cells from Mlsa-negative mice results in significant skewing of Voe use among responding V36 + T cells. This indicates that Vot expression influences recognition of the superantigen, Mls" by mature peripheral T cells.