Biomedical subjects

P Yachelini

Publications and source records attributed to P Yachelini.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1993

Epitope-specific differential modulations within the T-cell antigen receptor complex.

The feeding of cloned helper T cells by irradiated spleen cells results in the modulation of T-cell antigen receptors (TCRs) as detected by FACS. When two groups of anti-TCR antibodies--anti-idiotypic and anti-V beta--are compared, time-dependent patterns of modulation of TCR are drastically different. Whereas up to 80% of the idiotypic determinants disappear within 2 days after stimulation, almost no change is observed for the determinants recognized by V beta-specific antibodies within the same period. Sequential immunoprecipitations clearly showed that anti-idiotypic and anti-V beta antibodies recognize the same population of TCR. Moreover, surface labelling followed by immunoprecipitation of TCR did not show rapid and drastic changes in the amount of specifically precipitated material. The modulation is not significantly affected by the addition of specific antigen, but is specific for the clone's MHC restriction element. Functionally, the modulation of TCR epitopes affects the ability of anti-TCR antibody but not of the MHC/antigen complex to stimulate T cells. We conclude that the observed modulation of fluorescence intensity in the TCR complex after MHC recognition (1) is epitope specific, (2) is independent of the presence of nominal antigen and (3) does not affect the efficiency of antigen-specific stimulation.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Affinity enhancement and transmembrane signaling are associated with distinct epitopes on the CD8 alpha beta heterodimer.

CD8 is a heterodimeric membrane glycoprotein on MHC class I-restricted T lymphocytes that cooperates with the alpha beta CD3 TCR in the recognition of MHC class I molecules presenting antigenic peptides. Co-operation has two components: enhancement of the affinity of MHC/peptide-TCR interaction, and signal transduction through the T cell membrane. The cytolytic function of CTL is primarily dependent on the affinity-enhancement component of CD8-TCR cooperation whereas activation of resting CD8+ T cells is primarily dependent on transmembrane signaling. Using a panel of mAb, two to the alpha-chain and three to the beta-chain of CD8, we investigated the relationships between epitopes and functional regions of the CD8 molecule. Two of the antibodies, one to the alpha-chain and one to the beta-chain of CD8, inhibit the cytolytic function of CTL but not the generation of CTL from resting T cells. Another two antibodies, also one to the alpha- and one to the beta-chain, inhibited the generation of CTL while enhancing the cytolytic function of CTL. These results suggest that both the alpha- and beta-chain of CD8 possess two distinct regions, one involved in affinity enhancement and the other in transmembrane signaling. The former may be the MHC class I-binding region whereas the latter may associate with the alpha beta CD3 TCR. The data can explain the apparent functional equivalence of CD8 alpha alpha homodimers and alpha beta heterodimers.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Deviations in thymocyte development induced by divalent and monovalent ligation of the alpha/beta T cell receptor and by its cross-linking to CD8.

Fetal thymic organ cultures (FTOC) were tested as a model system to induce, in a polyclonal fashion, negative and positive thymic selection events. By flow cytometry, thymocytes developed in FTOC differed in several parameters from their in vivo differentiated counterparts. In particular, no clear distinction was possible between CD4+CD8+ immature cells with low TCR expression and mature CD4+ or CD8+ cells with high TCR expression. Thymocyte development in FTOC was manipulated with three different antibody reagents: anti-V beta 8 (F23.1), anti-Lyt-2.2 (19/178) and the quadroma derived bifunctional antibody HPHT-2, carrying one binding site of each. This antibody served also as a monovalent anti-V beta 8 reagent in FTOC from Lyt-2.1 mouse strains. Antibody 19/178 suppressed the development of single positive CD8+ cells, but only at very high concentrations. F23.1 and HPHT-2 suppressed the development of CD4+V beta 8+ and CD8+V beta 8+ thymocytes at relatively low concentrations giving rise to V beta 8 occupancies from about 2% upwards. Suppression was equally pronounced in cells with low and high TCR densities. Moreover, V beta 8 suppression occurred upon divalent and monovalent V beta 8 binding and was not significantly influenced by V beta 8-CD8 cross-linking. This suggests that ligation of the TCR alone is sufficient for clonal deletion. The data do not exclude a role for CD8 as an accessory adhesion molecule but suggest that exogenous cross-linking of CD8 to the TCR is not essential in transmembrane signaling for clonal deletion. At lower antibody concentrations giving rise to V beta 8 occupancies below detection, V beta 8-CD8 cross-linking by HPHT-2, but no divalent and monovalent V beta 8 ligation, induced an increase of CD8+V beta 8+ cells at the expense of CD4+ V beta 8+ cells with no change in the proportion of total V beta 8+ thymocytes. The latter effect was quantitatively of borderline significance but reproducible. These latter results are compatible with the hypothesis that cross-linking of the alpha beta TCR and CD8 on the thymocyte surface provides a maturation signal resulting in loss of CD4 from CD4+ CD8+ double positive immature thymocytes.

Animals↗