Thymus differentiation and T-cell specificity in nu/nu +/+ mouse aggregation chimaeras.

AUTOR(ES)

Zinkernagel, R M

RESUMO

Thymus development and T cell differentiation were studied in mouse chimaeras produced by aggregating pre-implantation embryos of thymus-deficient nude BALB/c (nu/nu) and wild-type C57BL/6 (+/+) mice and vice versa. Chimaeras showed mosaic distribution of skin and coat pigmentation, of hair follicles, of glucosephosphate isomerase within all tested organs and of lymphocytes expressing the different major transplantation antigens (H-2). When tested for their capacity to generate vaccinia virus-specific and self-H-2 specific cytotoxic T cells, all chimaeras of BALB/c (nu/nu) H-2d in equilibrium C57BL/6 (+/+) H-2b type generated T cells of one or both parental origins that were specific for virus and for self-H-2 of the +/+ (H-2b) type only. In contrast, some BALB/c (+/+) H-2d in equilibrium C57BL/6 (nu/nu) H-2b chimaeras generated vaccinia virus-specific cytotoxic T cells specific for either H-2d (+/+) type or for H-2b (nu/nu) type. These asymmetrical results can be interpreted to indicate the following: (i) The +/+ thymus part alone is functional, but because of asymmetrical cross-reactivities of anti-self-H-2 specificities, the observed T cell restriction phenotypes differ. (ii) Both nu/nu and +/+ thymus parts are functional but immune response defects may be exaggerated in such chimaeras producing unexpected non-responsiveness to vaccinia virus linked to H-2d in H-2b (+/+) in equilibrium H-2d (nu/nu).

Documentos Relacionados

• Interleukin 2 is mitogenic for nu/nu and nu/+ murine spleen cells.
• Coxsackievirus B 1-induced polymyositis. Lack of disease expression in nu/nu mice.
• Monoclonal antibody to an intracellular antigen images human melanoma transplants in nu/nu mice.
• Pattern of polyomavirus replication from infection until tumor formation in the organs of athymic nu/nu mice.
• Expression of foreign genes from retroviral vectors in mouse teratocarcinoma chimaeras.