Immunity. 1999 Aug;11(2):183-90. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
In the absence of thymic emigration, the peripheral T cell pool is
maintained by division of mature lymphocytes. We have examined the
molecular interactions required for peripheral CD8+ T cell expansion in
lymphopenic mice without conventional antigenic stimulation. Expansion
of CD8+ T cells in lymphopenic hosts was found to be peptide specific.
An antagonist peptide known to serve as a ligand for positive selection
of these T cells promoted expansion; however, a control peptide that
binds the same class I molecule did not. Surprisingly, the cells
undergoing proliferation in lymphopenic hosts did not mature to
cytotoxic effectors and displayed a partially activated surface
phenotype. These data suggest that division of T cells in the periphery
of lymphopenic hosts requires specific recognition of self-peptide/MHC
complexes, similar to the signal for thymocyte maturation.
JOURNAL ARTICLE Animal ABC Transporters/PHYSIOLOGY Cytotoxicity,
Immunologic CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/*IMMUNOLOGY Histocompatibility
Antigens Class I/PHYSIOLOGY Immunophenotyping Ligands *Lymphocyte
Transformation Lymphopenia/*IMMUNOLOGY Mice Mice, Inbred C57BL
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/*PHYSIOLOGY Receptors,
Interleukin-2/ANALYSIS Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Support, U.S. Gov't,
P.H.S.