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H von Boehmer

Publications and source records attributed to H von Boehmer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Exclusion and inclusion of alpha and beta T cell receptor alleles.

Exclusion and inclusion of T cell receptor (TCR) genes were analyzed in alpha beta TCR transgenic mice. Both transgenes are expressed unusually early on the surface of CD4-8-, HSA+, IL-2R- thymocytes. These progenitor cells give rise to progeny, which at the single-cell level contains endogenous alpha but not beta TCR-RNA as well as protein, in addition to products encoded by the transgenes. Thus, the surface expression of an alpha beta TCR does not prevent further alpha TCR rearrangement in immature thymocytes that still transcribe RAG-1 and RAG-2 genes. Reduced levels of RAG-1 and RAG-2 RNA are detectable only in CD4+8+ TCR high cells, which result from positive selection in the thymus. The results suggest that a developing T cell may try different alpha beta TCRs for binding to thymic MHC ligands, and that recombination at the alpha locus ceases only after positive selection.

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PubMed1992

Phenotypic changes accompanying positive selection of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes.

We know little about the way mature CD4 (helper) and CD8 (killer) T cells develop from thymic CD4+CD8+ precursors. Here we show that small but not large CD4+CD8+ cells with high levels of the alpha beta T cell receptor (TcRhigh) result from positive selection. Neither CD4+CD8+ cells with low TcR levels nor large CD4+CD8+ thymocytes with high TcR levels differentiate in vitro. However, small CD4+CD8+ cells with high TcR levels develop in vitro into mature cells by gradually decreasing the surface levels of one or the other co-receptor and acquiring the potential to respond with proliferation to ligation of the TcR. Small CD4+CD8+ cells with high levels of a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-restricted transgenic TcR develop in vitro exclusively into CD4-CD8+ cells while small CD4+CD8+ TcRhigh cells with heterogeneous TcR from various mice yield both CD4 and CD8 T cells. While these experiments are consistent with an instructive model of CD4/CD8 lineage commitment they do not rule out other mechanisms which require multiple TcR-MHC ligand interactions in the generation of mature alpha beta T cells.

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PubMed1992

T cell receptor (TCR) beta chain homodimers on the surface of immature but not mature alpha, gamma, delta chain deficient T cell lines.

Transfected T cell receptor (TCR) beta chain genes are expressed as homodimers on the surface of immature (Sci/ET27F) but not on mature (58 alpha-beta-) T cell lines which lack TCR alpha, gamma and delta chains. The homodimer on Sci/ET27F cells is tightly bound to CD3 delta and CD3 epsilon while the association with CD3 gamma and CD3 zeta proteins is rather weak. Crosslinking of the TCR beta homodimers resulted in a strong and rapid calcium flux. In 58 alpha-beta- T cells the beta TCR chain could be easily visualized intracellularly but was not transported to the cell surface. The Scid cell lines considerably facilitate the molecular analysis of early differentiation events in the thymus which are likely to be regulated by the beta TCR homodimer.

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PubMed1992

Thymic selection: a matter of life and death.

Mice transgenic for the T-cell receptor (TCR) were instrumental to the understanding that developing alpha beta T cells undergo programmed cell death unless the TCR beta gene properly rearranges and produces receptors of appropriate specificity. The delineation of developmental pathways for 'conventional' alpha beta T cells has resulted in the recognition of a different lineage of alpha beta T cells that develop in the thymus, the function of which remains to be elucidated.

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PubMed1992

T cell development and selection in the thymus.

T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mice have been useful models to study the selection of lymphocytes during T cell development. They also have raised new questions with regard to allelic exclusion of T cell receptor genes and mechanisms determining the CD4/CD8 phenotype of mature T cells. Our data indicate that exclusion of beta and alpha TCR alleles occurs by different mechanisms: the expression of beta TCR genes as cell surface proteins in the absence of alpha, gamma or delta TCR chains apparently suppresses effectively further rearrangement of the beta TCR locus in spite of the presence of an active recombination machinery in these cells. In contrast an alpha TCR surface protein has little effect on further alpha TCR rearrangement which only ceases after positive selection of alpha beta T cells. This enables a developing T cell to test various alpha TCR chains with one beta TCR chain in the formation of a selectable receptor. Further data support the concept that different signals instruct developing T cells to either become CD4+8- helper or CD4-8+ killer cells: CD4+8+ cells with high levels of a class I MHC specific TCR were shown to result exclusively from positive selection and developed in vitro in the absence of selecting ligands in CD4-8+ but not CD4+8- T cells.

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PubMed1979

Distinct Ir genes for helper and killer cells in the cytotoxic response to H-Y antigen.

The H-Y-specific cytotoxic T-cell response requires helper cells: cells from bone marrow chimeras B6 X CBA leads to B6, B6 X CBA leads to B10.A (5R), or B6 X CBA leads to CBA are each unable to respond to H-2k male cells. If, however, cells from B6 X CBA leads to B6 or B6 X CBA leads to B10.A (5R) chimeras are adoptively transferred together with cells from B6 X CBA leads to CBA chimeras, H-Y-specific CTL restricted to H-2k can be obtained. Thus, cells from B6 X CBA leads to B6 or B6 X CBA leads to B10.,A (5R) chimeras (restricted to the left end of the H-2b haplotype) can help CTL precursors from B6 X CBA leads to CBA chimeras (restricted to H-2k). The two classes of T cells required for the CTL response to H-Y antigen are controlled by different IR genes. All H-Y-specific CTL obtained from chimeras B6 + CBA leads to B6 X CBA were found to be of B6 origin. This suggests that CTL or their precursors must express antigens encoded in the left end of the H-2b haplotype for interaction with helper cells.

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PubMed1979

T-helper function of parent leads to F1 chimeras. Presence of a separate T-cell subgroup able to stimulate allogeneic B cells but not syngeneic B cells.

Parent leads to F1 chimeras were prepared by reconstituting sublethally irradiated H-2 heterozygous mice with marrow cells from one parental strain. Purified parental strain T cells prepared from unprimed chimeras were exposed to sheep erythrocytes in heavily irradiated mice of each of the two parental strains and recovered from thoracic duct lymph of the recipients at either day 1 or day 5 posttransfer. The lymphoborne cells were then tested for their capacity to collaborate in vivo with B cells of the two parental strains. From this approach it was concluded that parent leads to F1 chimera T cells contain two discrete subgroups of T-helper cells, one specific for self H-2 determinants and the other restricted to H-2 determinants of the opposite parental strain. The restrictions mapped to the K-end of the H-2 complex.

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PubMed1979

Fine specificity of a continuously growing killer cell clone specific for H-Y antigen.

H-Y-specific cytotoxic T cells were first cloned in soft agar and grown over a period of 8 months in media conditioned with supernatants from mouse and rat spleen cells stimulated with concanavalin A. The specificity of cloned cells and their cytolytic potential remained essentially unchanged over the entire culture period. In addition to lysing male target cells expressing H-2Db antigens, the cytolytic cells lysed also male as well as female cells expressing H-2Dd alloantigens. Seventeen out of eighteen subclones derived from the original clone revealed the same activity. The cells divide about every 17--20 h can be obtained in large quantities.

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PubMed1979

Cytotoxic T cell responses to haptenated cells. I. Primary, secondary and long-term cultures.

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses were obtained in vitro to cells coupled with several different haptens. The degree of lysis of target cells was dependent on the amount of hapten coupled to stimulator and target cells. Spleen cells from normal mice responded to high-hapten density cells but not to low-hapten density cells. However, spleen cells from immunized CBA mice could be stimulated in vitro by low-hapten density cells to generate effector cells able to lyse low-hapten density cells. In vitro primed responder cells could be restimulated in the presence of the original hapten-coupled stimulator cells or in the presence of supernatant from concanavalin A-stimulated mouse or rat spleen cells. Large number of hapten-specific and H-2-restricted CTL could be generated by repeated exposure to fresh supernatant.

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PubMed1979

The role of the left end of the H-2b haplotype in the male-specific cytotoxic T cell response.

The male-specific cytotoxic T cell response was tested in various mouse strains. We found that priming with 10(7) nonirradiated or 2 x 10(7) X-irradiated cells (2000 Rad) was similarly effective in B6 mice. We have avoided possible allogeneic effects due to priming F1 hybrids with parental cells and tested all mice after the same time interval for generation of male-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vitro. Under these conditions, we found an absolute requirement for H-2b gene products, encoded left of B, in order to see male-specific responses.

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PubMed1978

Cytotoxic T cells recognize male antigen and H-2 as distinct entities.

XX cells from XX/XY hemopoietic chimeras do not express male determinants in a way to render them either stimulators or targets for male-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes. XX- but not XY-responder T cells from chimeras can be activated to lyse allogeneic male target cells; T cells from normal XX mice depleted of alloreactive T cells, however, cannot be sensitized to lyse allogeneic XY targets. The results imply that T cells recognize the Y-antigen and H-2 as distinct entities, and that in chimeras, they acquire the potential to react against allogeneic XY cells.

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PubMed1978

Major histocompatibility complex-linked immune-responsiveness is acquired by lymphocytes of low-responder mice differentiating in thymus of high-responder mice.

Female murine T cells can respond to the Y antigen of male cells by generating cytotoxic T-killer lymphocytes. Responsiveness is linked to several H-2 genes. Two types of low responders can be distinguished: the B10.A(5R) (H-2i5) strain, a low responder because it lacks Y-specific precursor T cells able to differentiate into cytotoxic T-killer cells; and the CBA/J (H-2k) strain, a low responder because it lacks Y-specific T-helper cells able to support differentiation of T-killer cell precursors. B10.A(5R) stem cells differentiating in an x-irradiated (CBA/J X C57BL/6) (H-2k X H-2b)F1 host respond to Y antigen by generating T-killer cells whereas CBA/J stem cells do not. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that diversity of T-cell receptors is generated by somatic mutation of germ-line genes encoding specificity for self-H-2. A detailed account of this hypothesis is presented.

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PubMed1977

H-2 gene complementation in cytotoxic T cell responses of female against male cells.

H-2 gene-dependent nonresponsiveness and responsiveness to H-2-matched male cells can be observed in cytotoxic assays in several mouse strains. H-2 genes of several low responder strains can complement each other in cis or trans position to produce high responders. One of the H-2 gene products functions at the level of antigen-presenting cells (stimulators, targets), the other must be expressed in the responding T cell population.

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PubMed1976

Helper function of T cells depleted of alloantigen-reactive lymphocytes by filtration through irradiated F1 hybrid recipients. I. Failure to collaborate with allogeneic B cells in a secondary response to sheep erythrocytes measured in vivo.

Helper T cells were obtained by injecting heavily irradiated semiallogeneic mice with lymph node cells from H-2-incompatible parental strain mice primed with sheep erythrocytes (SRC) 2 mo before. Thoracic duct lymphocytes collected from the recipents 18-40 h later (nearly all of which were theta-positive and of donor origin) were totally and specifically unresponsive against host-type determinants in mixed-lymphocyte culture. The filtered cells were transferred to irradiated semiallogeneic mice together with SRC and anti-theta-serum-treated (B) cells from SRC-primed syngeneic, semiallogeneic, or allogeneic mice. When antibody-forming cells were measured in the spleen 5-9 days later, effective IgM and IgG collaborative responses were observed with both syngeneic and semiallogeneic B cells but not with allogeneic B cells. No evidence was found that the failure to obtain collaboration with the allogeneic B cells was due to inhibition of the B cells by the T cells or vice versa.

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PubMed1976

Immunoglobulin turnover in B lymphocyte subpopulations.

"In vitro" turnover of leucine-labeled and of radioiodinated IgM has been studied with cells from various lymphoid organs of nude mice, i.e. lymph nodes, thoracic duct, spleen and bone marrow, as well as with subpopulations of B cells from spleen and bone marrow separated by free flow electrophoresis. Three types of IgM-producing lymphocytes could be distinguished by their turnover rates of IgM, by the size of the released IgM and by the capacity of the IgM molecules to be labeled by the lactoperoxidase-catalyzed radioiodination reaction and/or by incorporation of radioactive leucine. Type I cells release 7-8 S IgM rapidly (t1/2 = 1-3h); the released IGM is leucine-labeled and radioiodinated. Type II cells release 7-8 S IgM slowly (t1/2 =10-30); the released IgM is leucine labeled and radioiodinated. Type III cells release 19 S IgM rapidly (t1/2 =2-4 h); the released IgM is leucine labeled, but not radioiodinated. Lymph nodes and thoracic duct contain predominantly type II cells, bone marrow contains type I and II cells, spleen contains type I,II and III cells. It is suggested that type III cells are Ig-secreting plaque-forming plasma cells, type II cells are small, resting "memory" B cells, and type I cells may be newly formed antigen-inexperienced B cells.

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