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Analysis of the Expression and Immunostimulatory Capacity of Class I Major Histocompatibility Antigens on Rat Trophoblast Cell Lines
Author(s) -
HUNT JOAN S.,
YANG YAPING,
WHEATON DAVID,
KUNZ HEINZ W.,
GILL THOMAS J.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.071
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 1046-7408
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0897.1991.tb00710.x
Subject(s) - trophoblast , major histocompatibility complex , antigen , biology , immune system , immunology , mhc class i , microbiology and biotechnology , mhc class ii , placenta , fetus , genetics , pregnancy
In rat strains expressing the a and other major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotypes, subpopulations of placental trophoblast cells synthesize the nonclassical class I Pa antigen in preference to the classical RT1.A a antigen. In this study, a rat trophoblast cell line, R8RP.3, which was derived from midgestation placentas of PVG.R8 (RT1.A a ) rats, was shown to express class I antigens similarly to those of trophoblast cells in situ. Both unstimulated and IFN‐γ‐exposed metabolically labeled R8RP.3 cells synthesized more Pa than RT1.A a antigen. The reverse was true for labeled spleen cells from PVG.R8 rats. The R8RP.3 cells failed to stimulate allogeneic lymphocyte proliferation even when high levels of both classical and nonclassical class I MHC antigens were expressed on their membranes after incubation with IFN‐γ. These experiments thus supply the first evidence that the inductive phase of the immune response is not promoted by trophoblast cell class I MHC antigens, which could explain the failure of mothers to mount immune responses to class I MHC positive trophoblast cells.