Open AccessHuman T cell responses to β‐galactosidase
Author(s) -
OXLEY J. D.,
BROOKES R. H.,
RAYFIELD L. S.,
SHEPHERD P. S.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1991.tb05669.x
Subject(s) - peripheral blood mononuclear cell , clone (java method) , cytotoxic t cell , biology , priming (agriculture) , immunology , cd8 , t cell , virology , antigen , virus , t cell receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , immune system , gene , in vitro , genetics , germination , botany
SUMMARY The peripheral blood of most normal individuals has been shown to contain T cells that respond to β‐galactosidase (β‐Gal), presumably as a result of natural priming. Three T cell clones (clones 1,2,4) specific for β‐Gal were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) after pretreatment with leucine methyl ester (LeuOMe); a fourth clone from the same individual was isolated from untreated cells. All four clones were CD4 + CD8 ‐ aβTcR + and clone 1 was additionally shown to be cytotoxic. Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) transformed B cell lines were derived from LeuOMe‐treated or untreated PBMC and used to study the efficiency of presentation of β‐Gal to one of the clones. The results indicated that B cells transformed after LeuOMe treatment presented β‐Gal at lower concentrations than untreated controls. β‐Gal would therefore appear to be a highly suitable model antigen for studies of immunoregulation in humans.