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Meitei HT, Lal G. T cell receptor signaling in the differentiation and plasticity of CD4 + T cells. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2023; 69:14-27. [PMID: 36028461 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2022.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
CD4+ T cells are critical components of the adaptive immune system. The T cell receptor (TCR) and co-receptor signaling cascades shape the phenotype and functions of CD4+ T cells. TCR signaling plays a crucial role in T cell development, antigen recognition, activation, and differentiation upon recognition of foreign- or auto-antigens. In specific autoimmune conditions, altered TCR repertoire is reported and can predispose autoimmunity with organ-specific inflammation and tissue damage. TCR signaling modulates various signaling cascades and regulates epigenetic and transcriptional regulation during homeostasis and disease conditions. Understanding the mechanism by which coreceptors and cytokine signals control the magnitude of TCR signal amplification will aid in developing therapeutic strategies to treat inflammation and autoimmune diseases. This review focuses on the role of the TCR signaling cascade and its components in the activation, differentiation, and plasticity of various CD4+ T cell subsets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Girdhari Lal
- National Centre for Cell Science, SPPU campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune, MH 411007, India.
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2
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Bhattacharyya ND, Feng CG. Regulation of T Helper Cell Fate by TCR Signal Strength. Front Immunol 2020; 11:624. [PMID: 32508803 PMCID: PMC7248325 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells are critical in orchestrating protective immune responses to cancer and an array of pathogens. The interaction between a peptide MHC (pMHC) complex on antigen presenting cells (APCs) and T cell receptors (TCRs) on T cells initiates T cell activation, division, and clonal expansion in secondary lymphoid organs. T cells must also integrate multiple T cell-intrinsic and extrinsic signals to acquire the effector functions essential for the defense against invading microbes. In the case of T helper cell differentiation, while innate cytokines have been demonstrated to shape effector CD4+ T lymphocyte function, the contribution of TCR signaling strength to T helper cell differentiation is less understood. In this review, we summarize the signaling cascades regulated by the strength of TCR stimulation. Various mechanisms in which TCR signal strength controls T helper cell expansion and differentiation are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayan D Bhattacharyya
- Immunology and Host Defense Group, Discipline of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Tuberculosis Research Program, Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Carl G Feng
- Immunology and Host Defense Group, Discipline of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Tuberculosis Research Program, Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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3
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Control of T cell antigen reactivity via programmed TCR downregulation. Nat Immunol 2016; 17:379-86. [PMID: 26901151 PMCID: PMC4803589 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The T cell receptor (TCR) is unique in that its affinity for ligand is unknown prior to encounter and can vary by orders of magnitude. How the immune system regulates individual T cells that display highly different reactivity to antigen remains unclear. Here we identified that activated CD4+ T cells, at the peak of clonal expansion, persistently downregulate TCR expression in proportion to the strength of initial antigen recognition. This programmed response increases the threshold for cytokine production and recall proliferation in a clone-specific manner, ultimately excluding clones with the highest antigen reactivities. Thus, programmed TCR downregulation represents a negative feedback mechanism to constrain T cell effector function with a suitable time delay, thereby allowing pathogen control while avoiding excess inflammatory damage.
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Stepwise B-cell-dependent expansion of T helper clonotypes diversifies the T-cell response. Nat Commun 2016; 7:10281. [PMID: 26728651 PMCID: PMC4728444 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Antigen receptor diversity underpins adaptive immunity by providing the ground for clonal selection of lymphocytes with the appropriate antigen reactivity. Current models attribute T cell clonal selection during the immune response to T-cell receptor (TCR) affinity for either foreign or self peptides. Here, we report that clonal selection of CD4(+) T cells is also extrinsically regulated by B cells. In response to viral infection, the antigen-specific TCR repertoire is progressively diversified by staggered clonotypic expansion, according to functional avidity, which correlates with self-reactivity. Clonal expansion of lower-avidity T-cell clonotypes depends on availability of MHC II-expressing B cells, in turn influenced by B-cell activation. B cells clonotypically diversify the CD4(+) T-cell response also to vaccination or tumour challenge, revealing a common effect.
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Merkenschlager J, Kassiotis G. Narrowing the Gap: Preserving Repertoire Diversity Despite Clonal Selection during the CD4 T Cell Response. Front Immunol 2015; 6:413. [PMID: 26322045 PMCID: PMC4531291 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
T cell immunity relies on the generation and maintenance of a diverse repertoire of T cell antigen receptors (TCRs). The strength of signaling emanating from the TCR dictates the fate of T cells during development, as well as during the immune response. Whereas development of new T cells in the thymus increases the available TCR repertoire, clonal selection during the immune response narrows TCR diversity through the outgrowth of clonotypes with the fittest TCR. To ensure maintenance of TCR diversity in the antigen-selected repertoire, specific mechanisms can be envisaged that facilitate the participation of T cell clonotypes with less than best fit TCRs. Here, we summarize the evidence for the existence of such mechanisms that can prevent the loss of diversity. A number of T cell-autonomous or extrinsic factors can reverse clonotypic hierarchies set by TCR affinity for given antigen. Although not yet complete, understanding of these factors and their mechanism of action will be critical in interventional attempts to mold the antigen-selected TCR repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - George Kassiotis
- Mill Hill Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute , London , UK ; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London , London , UK
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Law SC, Benham H, Reid HH, Rossjohn J, Thomas R. Identification of Self-antigen–specific T Cells Reflecting Loss of Tolerance in Autoimmune Disease Underpins Preventative Immunotherapeutic Strategies in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 2014; 40:735-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rdc.2014.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Thorborn G, Ploquin MJ, Eksmond U, Pike R, Bayer W, Dittmer U, Hasenkrug KJ, Pepper M, Kassiotis G. Clonotypic composition of the CD4+ T cell response to a vectored retroviral antigen is determined by its speed. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 193:1567-77. [PMID: 25000983 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1400667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms whereby different vaccines may expand distinct Ag-specific T cell clonotypes or induce disparate degrees of protection are incompletely understood. We found that several delivery modes of a model retroviral Ag, including natural infection, preferentially expanded initially rare high-avidity CD4(+) T cell clonotypes, known to mediate protection. In contrast, the same Ag vectored by human adenovirus serotype 5 induced clonotypic expansion irrespective of avidity, eliciting a predominantly low-avidity response. Nonselective clonotypic expansion was caused by relatively weak adenovirus serotype 5-vectored Ag presentation and was reproduced by replication-attenuated retroviral vaccines. Mechanistically, the potency of Ag presentation determined the speed and, consequently, completion of the CD4(+) T cell response. Whereas faster completion retained the initial advantage of high-avidity clonotypes, slower completion permitted uninhibited accumulation of low-avidity clonotypes. These results highlighted the importance of Ag presentation patterns in determining the clonotypic composition of vaccine-induced T cell responses and ultimately the efficacy of vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Thorborn
- Division of Immunoregulation, Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - Mickaël J Ploquin
- Division of Immunoregulation, Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - Urszula Eksmond
- Division of Immunoregulation, Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Pike
- Division of Immunoregulation, Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - Wibke Bayer
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Ulf Dittmer
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Kim J Hasenkrug
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840
| | - Marion Pepper
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195; and
| | - George Kassiotis
- Division of Immunoregulation, Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom
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Reynolds C, Chong D, Raynsford E, Quigley K, Kelly D, Llewellyn-Hughes J, Altmann D, Boyton R. Elongated TCR alpha chain CDR3 favors an altered CD4 cytokine profile. BMC Biol 2014; 12:32. [PMID: 24886643 PMCID: PMC4046507 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-12-32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background CD4 T lymphocyte activation requires T cell receptor (TCR) engagement by peptide/MHC (major histocompatibility complex) (pMHC). The TCR complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) contains variable α and β loops critical for pMHC recognition. During any immune response, tuning of TCR usage through progressive clonal selection occurs. Th1 and Th2 cells operate at different avidities for activation and display distinct transcriptional programs, although polarization may be plastic, influenced by pathogens and cytokines. We therefore hypothesized that CDR3αβ sequence features may intrinsically influence CD4 phenotype during progression of a response. Results We show that CD4 polarization involves distinct CDR3α usage: Th1 and Th17 cells favored short TCR CDR3α sequences of 12 and 11 amino acids, respectively, while Th2 cells favored elongated CDR3α loops of 14 amino acids, with lower predicted affinity. The dominant Th2- and Th1-derived TCRα sequences with14 amino acid CDR3 loops and 12 amino acid CDR3 loops, respectively, were expressed in TCR transgenics. The functional impact of these TCRα transgenes was assessed after in vivo priming with a peptide/adjuvant. The short, Th1-derived receptor transgenic T cell lines made IFNγ, but not IL-4, 5 or 13, while the elongated, Th2-derived receptor transgenic T cell lines made little or no IFNγ, but increased IL-4, 5 and 13 with progressive re-stimulations, mirrored by GATA-3 up-regulation. T cells from primed Th2 TCRα transgenics selected dominant TCR Vβ expansions, allowing us to generate TCRαβ transgenics carrying the favored, Th2-derived receptor heterodimer. Primed T cells from TCRαβ transgenics made little or no IL-17 or IFNγ, but favored IL-9 after priming with Complete Freund’s adjuvant and IL-4, 5, 9, 10 and 13 after priming with incomplete Freund’s. In tetramer-binding studies, this transgenic receptor showed low binding avidity for pMHC and polarized T cell lines show TCR avidity for Th17 > Th1 > Th2. While transgenic expression of a Th2-derived, ‘elongated’ TCR-CDR3α and the TCRαβ pair, clearly generated a program shifted away from Th1 immunity and with low binding avidity, cytokine-skewing could be over-ridden by altering peptide challenge dose. Conclusion We propose that selection from responding clones with distinctive TCRs on the basis of functional avidity can direct a preference away from Th1 effector responses, favoring Th2 cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rosemary Boyton
- Lung Immunology Group, Infectious Diseases and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.
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Thorborn G, Young GR, Kassiotis G. Effective T helper cell responses against retroviruses: are all clonotypes equal? J Leukoc Biol 2014; 96:27-37. [PMID: 24737804 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.2ri0613-347r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The critical importance of CD4(+) T cells in coordinating innate and adaptive immune responses is evidenced by the susceptibility to various pathogenic and opportunistic infections that arises from primary or acquired CD4(+) T cell immunodeficiency, such as following HIV-1 infection. However, despite the clearly defined roles of cytotoxic CD8(+) T cells and antibodies in host protection from retroviruses, the ability of CD4(+) T cells to exert a similar function remains unclear. Recent studies in various settings have drawn attention to the complexity of the T cell response within and between individuals. Distinct TCR clonotypes within an individual differ substantially in their response to the same epitope. Functionally similar, "public" TCR clonotypes can also dominate the response of different individuals. TCR affinity for antigen directly influences expansion and differentiation of responding T cells, also likely affecting their ultimate protective capacity. With this increasing understanding of the parameters that determine the magnitude and effector type of the T cell response, we are now better equipped to address the protective capacity against retroviruses of CD4(+) T cell clonotypes induced by natural infection or vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - George R Young
- Divisions of Immunoregulation and Virology, Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - George Kassiotis
- Divisions of Immunoregulation and Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
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Qiao SW, Christophersen A, Lundin KEA, Sollid LM. Biased usage and preferred pairing of α- and β-chains of TCRs specific for an immunodominant gluten epitope in coeliac disease. Int Immunol 2013; 26:13-9. [PMID: 24038601 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxt037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
CD4⁺ T cells that recognize dietary gluten antigens presented by the disease-associated HLA-DQ2 or DQ8 molecules are central players in coeliac disease. Unbiased sequencing of the human TCRα variable (TRAV) and humanTCRβ variable (TRBV) genes of 68 HLA-DQ2.5-glia-α2-specific T cells from coeliac disease patients confirmed previous reports of over-usage of the TRBV7-2 gene segment, a conserved Arg residue in the complementarity-determining region (CDR) 3β loop and prevalent usage of the canonical ASSxRxTDTQY CDR3β loop among T cells with this specificity. In 30 clones that had the canonical TCRβ chain, we found a strict usage of the TRAV26-1 gene segment in the TCRα chain. There was variable usage of the TRAJ genes and diverse CDR3α sequences with no apparent conserved motifs. This study extends previous reports on biased TCR usage in both HLA-DQ2.5- and DQ8-restricted gluten-specific TCRs and provides data for further studies on TRAV and TRBV pairing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo-Wang Qiao
- Centre for Immune Regulation and Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet, 0372 Oslo, Norway
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Yousef S, Planas R, Chakroun K, Hoffmeister-Ullerich S, Binder TMC, Eiermann TH, Martin R, Sospedra M. TCR Bias and HLA Cross-Restriction Are Strategies of Human Brain-Infiltrating JC Virus-Specific CD4+T Cells during Viral Infection. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2012; 189:3618-30. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1201612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Rosenthal KM, Edwards LJ, Sabatino JJ, Hood JD, Wasserman HA, Zhu C, Evavold BD. Low 2-dimensional CD4 T cell receptor affinity for myelin sets in motion delayed response kinetics. PLoS One 2012; 7:e32562. [PMID: 22412888 PMCID: PMC3296730 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2011] [Accepted: 01/31/2012] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
T cells recognizing self-peptides that mediate autoimmune disease and those that are responsible for efficacious immunity against pathogens may differ in affinity for antigen due to central and peripheral tolerance mechanisms. Here we utilize prototypical self-reactive (myelin) and viral-specific (LCMV) T cells from T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mice (2D2 and SMARTA, respectively) to explore affinity differences. The T cells responsive to virus possessed >10,000 fold higher 2D affinity as compared to the self-reactive T cells. Despite their dramatically lower affinity for their cognate ligand, 2D2 T cells respond with complete, albeit delayed, activation (proliferation and cytokine production). SMARTA activation occurs rapidly, achieving peak phosphorylation of p38 (1 minute), Erk (30 minutes), and Jun (3 hours) as well as CD69 and CD25 upregulation (3 and 6 hours, respectively), with a corresponding early initiation of proliferation. 2D2 stimulation with MOG results in altered signaling--no phospho-Erk or phospho-p38 accumulation, significantly delayed activation kinetics of Jun (12 hours), and delayed but sustained SHP-1 activity--as well as delayed CD69 and CD25 expression (12-24 hours), and slow initiation of proliferation. This delay was not intrinsic to the 2D2 T cells, as a more potent antigen with >100-fold increased 2D affinity restored rapid response kinetics in line with those identified for the viral antigen. Taken together, these data demonstrate that time can offset low TCR affinity to attain full activation and suggest a mechanism by which low affinity T cells participate in autoimmune disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M. Rosenthal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Lindsay J. Edwards
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Joseph J. Sabatino
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jennifer D. Hood
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Heather A. Wasserman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Cheng Zhu
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Brian D. Evavold
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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Ploquin MJY, Eksmond U, Kassiotis G. B cells and TCR avidity determine distinct functions of CD4+ T cells in retroviral infection. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2011; 187:3321-30. [PMID: 21841129 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1101006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The T cell-dependent B cell response relies on cognate interaction between B cells and CD4(+) Th cells. However, the consequences of this interaction for CD4(+) T cells are not entirely known. B cells generally promote CD4(+) T cell responses to pathogens, albeit to a variable degree. In contrast, CD4(+) T cell responses to self- or tumor Ags are often suppressed by B cells. In this study, we demonstrated that interaction with B cells dramatically inhibited the function of virus-specific CD4(+) T cells in retroviral infection. We have used Friend virus infection of mice as a model for retroviral infection, in which the behavior of virus-specific CD4(+) T cells was monitored according to their TCR avidity. We report that avidity for Ag and interaction with B cells determine distinct aspects of the primary CD4(+) T cell response to Friend virus infection. Virus-specific CD4(+) T cells followed exclusive Th1 and T follicular helper (Tfh) differentiation. High avidity for Ag facilitated expansion during priming and enhanced the capacity for IFN-γ and IL-21 production. In contrast, Tfh differentiation was not affected by avidity for Ag. By reducing or preventing B cell interaction, we found that B cells promoted Tfh differentiation, induced programmed death 1 expression, and inhibited IFN-γ production by virus-specific CD4(+) T cells. Ultimately, B cells protected hosts from CD4(+) T cell-mediated immune pathology, at the detriment of CD4(+) T cell-mediated protective immunity. Our results suggest that B cell presentation of vaccine Ags could be manipulated to direct the appropriate CD4(+) T cell response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickaël J-Y Ploquin
- Division of Immunoregulation, Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
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Rational design of T cell receptors with enhanced sensitivity for antigen. PLoS One 2011; 6:e18027. [PMID: 21455495 PMCID: PMC3063236 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2010] [Accepted: 02/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancing the affinity of therapeutic T cell receptors (TCR) without altering their specificity is a significant challenge for adoptive immunotherapy. Current efforts have primarily relied on empirical approaches. Here, we used structural analyses to identify a glycine-serine variation in the TCR that modulates antigen sensitivity. A G at position 107 within the CDR3β stalk is encoded within a single mouse and human TCR, TRBV13-2 and TRBV12-5 respectively. Most TCR bear a S107. The S hydroxymethyl side chain intercalates into the core of the CDR3β loop, stabilizing it. G107 TRBV possess a gap in their CDR3β where this S hydroxymethyl moiety would fit. We predicted based on modeling and molecular dynamics simulations that a G107S substitution would increase CDR3β stability and thereby augment receptor sensitivity. Experimentally, a G107S replacement led to an ∼10–1000 fold enhanced antigen sensitivity in 3 of 4 TRBV13-2+ TCR tested. Analysis of fine specificity indicated a preserved binding orientation. These results support the feasibility of developing high affinity antigen specific TCR for therapeutic purposes through the identification and manipulation of critical framework residues. They further indicate that amino acid variations within TRBV not directly involved in ligand contact can program TCR sensitivity, and suggest a role for CDR3 stability in this programming.
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Miles JJ, Douek DC, Price DA. Bias in the αβ T-cell repertoire: implications for disease pathogenesis and vaccination. Immunol Cell Biol 2011; 89:375-87. [PMID: 21301479 DOI: 10.1038/icb.2010.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The naïve T-cell repertoire is vast, containing millions of unique T-cell receptor (TCR) structures. Faced with such diversity, the mobilization of TCR structures from this enormous pool was once thought to be a stochastic, even chaotic, process. However, steady and systematic dissection over the last 20 years has revealed that this is not the case. Instead, the TCR repertoire deployed against individual antigens is routinely ordered and biased. Often, identical and near-identical TCR repertoires can be observed across different individuals, suggesting that the system encompasses an element of predictability. This review provides a catalog of αβ TCR bias by disease and by species, and discusses the mechanisms that govern this inherent and widespread phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Miles
- T Cell Modulation Laboratory, Department of Infection, Immunity and Biochemistry, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
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Sabatino JJ, Huang J, Zhu C, Evavold BD. High prevalence of low affinity peptide-MHC II tetramer-negative effectors during polyclonal CD4+ T cell responses. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 208:81-90. [PMID: 21220453 PMCID: PMC3023139 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20101574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Two-dimensional analysis reveals that peptide–MHC class II tetramers underestimate the frequency of cytokine-producing antigen-specific CD4+ T cells in polyclonal responses. T cell affinity for antigen initiates adaptive immunity. However, the contribution of low affinity cells to a response is unknown as it has not been possible to assess the entire affinity range of a polyclonal T cell repertoire. In this study, we used a highly sensitive two-dimensional binding assay to identify low affinity cells in polyclonal autoreactive and pathogen-reactive CD4+ T cell populations specific for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) antigens, respectively. Low affinity CD4+ T cells, below detection with peptide–major histocompatibility complex class II tetramers, were at least as frequent as high affinity responders and contributed significant effector cytokines in both primary antigen–specific responses. We further demonstrated that MOG- and LCMV-specific CD4+ T cells possessed similarly broad ranges in their affinities (>100-fold wide), only differing in the frequencies of low and high affinity cells. Thus, low as well as high affinity CD4+ T cells are critical effectors in autoimmune and pathogen-specific responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Sabatino
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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17
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Abstract
CD4(+) T helper (T(H)) cells play a critical role in orchestrating a pleiotropy of immune activities against a large variety of pathogens. It is generally thought that this is achieved through the acquisition of highly specialized functions after activation followed by the differentiation into various functional subsets. The differentiation process of naive precursor T(H) cells into defined effector subsets is controlled by cells of the innate immune system and their complex array of effector molecules such as secreted cytokines and membrane bound costimulatory molecules. These provide a unique quantitative or qualitative signal initiating T(H) development, which is subsequently reinforced via T cell-mediated feedback signals and selective survival and proliferative cues, ultimately resulting in the predominance of a particular T cell subset. In recent years, the number of defined T(H)cell subsets has expanded and the once rigid division of labor among them has been blurred with reports of plasticity among the subsets. In this chapter, we summarize and speculate on the current knowledge of the differentiation requirements of T(H) cell lineages, with particular focus on the T(H)17 subset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippa Marrack
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Integrated Department of Immunology, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA.
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Udyavar A, Geiger TL. Rebalancing immune specificity and function in cancer by T-cell receptor gene therapy. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2010; 58:335-46. [PMID: 20680493 PMCID: PMC2928402 DOI: 10.1007/s00005-010-0090-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2010] [Accepted: 04/16/2010] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive immunotherapy with tumor-specific T lymphocytes has demonstrated clinical benefit in some cancers, particularly melanoma. Yet isolating and expanding tumor-specific cells from patients is challenging and there is limited ability to control T-cell affinity and response characteristics. T-cell receptor (TCR) gene therapy, in which T lymphocytes for immunotherapy are redirected using an introduced rearranged TCR, has emerged as an important alternative. Successful TCR gene therapy requires consideration of a number of issues, including TCR specificity and affinity, optimal gene therapy constructs, types of T cells administered, and the survival and activity of the modified cells. In this review we highlight the rationale for and experience with TCR gene therapy as well as new approaches to enhancing it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshata Udyavar
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105
| | - Terrence L. Geiger
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105
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21
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Rolla S, Ria F, Occhipinti S, Di Sante G, Iezzi M, Spadaro M, Nicolò C, Ambrosino E, Merighi IF, Musiani P, Forni G, Cavallo F. Erbb2 DNA vaccine combined with regulatory T cell deletion enhances antibody response and reveals latent low-avidity T cells: potential and limits of its therapeutic efficacy. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2010; 184:6124-32. [PMID: 20435927 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0901215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Rat (r)Erbb2 transgenic BALB-neuT mice genetically predestined to develop multiple invasive carcinomas allow an assessment of the potential of a vaccine against the stages of cancer progression. Because of rErbb2 expression in the thymus and its overexpression in the mammary gland, CD8(+) T cell clones reacting at high avidity with dominant rErbb2 epitopes are deleted in these mice. In BALB-neuT mice with diffuse and invasive in situ lesions and almost palpable carcinomas, a temporary regulatory T cells depletion combined with anti-rErbb2 vaccine markedly enhanced the anti-rErbb2 Ab response and allowed the expansion of latent pools of low-avidity CD8(+) T cells bearing TCRs repertoire reacting with the rErbb2 dominant peptide. This combination of a higher Ab response and activation of a low-avidity cytotoxic response persistently blocked tumor progression at stages in which the vaccine alone was ineffective. However, when diffuse and invasive microscopic cancers become almost palpable, this combination was no longer able to secure a significant extension of mice survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Rolla
- Molecular Biotechnology Center, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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22
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Manipulating antigenic ligand strength to selectively target myelin-reactive CD4+ T cells in EAE. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2009; 5:176-88. [PMID: 19904613 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-009-9181-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2009] [Accepted: 10/15/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The development of antigen-specific therapies for the selective tolerization of autoreactive T cells remains the Holy Grail for the treatment of T-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). This quest remains elusive, however, as the numerous antigen-specific strategies targeting myelin-specific T cells over the years have failed to result in clinical success. In this review, we revisit the antigen-based therapies used in the treatment of myelin-specific CD4+ T cells in the context of the functional avidity and the strength of signal of the encephalitogenic CD4+ T cell repertoire. In light of differences in activation thresholds, we propose that autoreactive T cells are not all equal, and therefore tolerance induction strategies must incorporate ligand strength in order to be successful in treating EAE and ultimately the human disease MS.
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23
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Joetham A, Takeda K, Okamoto M, Taube C, Matsuda H, Dakhama A, Gelfand EW. Antigen specificity is not required for modulation of lung allergic responses by naturally occurring regulatory T cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2009; 183:1821-7. [PMID: 19592660 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0900303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Naturally occurring Foxp3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells isolated from lungs of naive mice regulate lung allergic airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation, levels of Th2 cytokines, and mucus production. OVA-specific (alphabetaTCR(+)) CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells suppressed ragweed-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation as did anti-TCR-treated OVA-specific CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells, suggesting that Ag-specificity was not required for expression of regulatory activities. Suppression was associated with increased levels of IL-10 and TGF-beta; decreased levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; and reduced recruitment and activation of CD8(+) T cells in the airways. Following intratracheal administration, OVA-specific CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells were identified in both the airway lumens and lung parenchyma, and in some instances in close proximity to host CD8(+) T cells. These results demonstrate that the regulatory activities of naturally occurring Foxp3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells on lung allergic responses are Ag-nonspecific and thus, independent of Ag-specific recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Joetham
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Pediatrics, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA
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24
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Standifer NE, Burwell EA, Gersuk VH, Greenbaum CJ, Nepom GT. Changes in autoreactive T cell avidity during type 1 diabetes development. Clin Immunol 2009; 132:312-20. [PMID: 19482555 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2009.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2009] [Revised: 04/24/2009] [Accepted: 04/28/2009] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The activation threshold for antigen-specific T cell responses is dependent on the avidity of the trimolecular interaction between TCR, antigen, and MHC. We compared CD4+ T cell avidities for the diabetes-associated autoantigen glutamic acid decarboxylase 555-567 (GAD 555) among serial samples from autoantibody-positive subjects at high risk of progression to type 1 diabetes (T1D). T cells from three at-risk subjects demonstrated significant avidity increases (p<0.05 by F test) over time. This avidity shift correlated with the outgrowth of T cells expressing TCR BV 9, 15, 17 or 20 that demonstrated higher GAD 555 tetramer-binding levels compared to cells expressing other TCR BV genes. Similar analysis of autoantibody-negative, first-degree relatives and T1D patients did not demonstrate similar changes in avidity. These data implicate the outgrowth of T cells expressing higher affinity TCR in a process of antigen-specific T cell avidity maturation during the pre-clinical stage of T1D.
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25
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The function of follicular helper T cells is regulated by the strength of T cell antigen receptor binding. Nat Immunol 2009; 10:375-84. [PMID: 19252493 DOI: 10.1038/ni.1704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 368] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2008] [Accepted: 01/15/2009] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
How follicular helper T cells (T(FH) cells) differentiate to regulate B cell immunity is critical for effective protein vaccination. Here we define three transcription factor T-bet-expressing antigen-specific effector helper T cell subsets with distinguishable function, migratory properties and developmental programming in vivo. Expression of the transcriptional repressor Blimp-1 distinguished T zone 'lymphoid' effector helper T cells (CD62L(hi)CCR7(hi)) from CXCR5(lo) 'emigrant' effector helper T cells and CXCR5(hi) 'resident' T(FH) cells expressing the transcriptional repressor Bcl-6 (CD62L(lo)CCR7(lo)). We then show by adoptive transfer and intact polyclonal responses that helper T cells with the highest specific binding of peptide-major histocompatibility complex class II and the most restricted T cell antigen receptor junctional diversity 'preferentially' developed into the antigen-specific effector T(FH) compartment. Our studies demonstrate a central function for differences in the binding strength of the T cell antigen receptor in the antigen-specific mechanisms that 'program' specialized effector T(FH) function in vivo.
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26
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Wu Y, Zheng Z, Jiang Y, Chess L, Jiang H. The specificity of T cell regulation that enables self-nonself discrimination in the periphery. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009; 106:534-9. [PMID: 19118203 PMCID: PMC2613037 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0811843106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
It was recently shown that perceiving the avidity of T cell activation can be translated into peripheral T cell regulation to control autoimmune disease. This regulation is achieved by CD8(+) T cells that recognize a common surrogate target structure, Qa-1/Hsp60sp, preferentially expressed by activated T cells of intermediate but not high avidity. A truncated self-reactive repertoire, devoid of high-avidity T cells, generated by thymic negative selection, allows selective down-regulation of intermediate-avidity T cells to accomplish self-nonself discrimination in the periphery. Identification of the common surrogate target structure expressed on intermediate-avidity T cells opens up a conceptual theme to understand the relationship between the specificity of peripheral immune regulation and self-nonself discrimination. Here, we investigated peptide vaccination induced cross-protection mediated by CD8(+) T cells in two autoimmune disease models, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) and type 1 diabetes (T1D). We show that Qa-1 restricted CD8(+) T cells cross-protect animals from either EAE or T1D without abrogating the immune response to foreign antigens. Cross-protection occurs because potentially pathogenic self-reactive T cells included in the pool of intermediate-avidity T cells are capable of preferentially expressing common surrogate target structures on their surface to render themselves subject to the down-regulation, independent of the specificity of the antigens that they are triggered by. Thus, like in the thymus, the immune system discriminates self from nonself, during adaptive immunity in the periphery, not by recognizing the structural differences between self and foreign antigens, but rather by perceiving the avidity of T cell activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilun Wu
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032
| | - Zongyu Zheng
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032
| | - Yihua Jiang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032
| | - Leonard Chess
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032
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27
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Salha MD, Cheynier R, Halwani R, McGrath H, Langaee TY, Yassine Diab B, Fournier J, Parenteau M, Edgar J, Ko D, Sherring A, Bogdanovic D, Sekaly RP, Rud EW. Persistence of restricted CD4 T cell expansions in SIV-infected macaques resistant to SHIV89.6P superinfection. Virology 2008; 377:239-47. [PMID: 18570962 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2008.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2007] [Revised: 02/29/2008] [Accepted: 04/24/2008] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Attempts to evaluate the protective effect of live attenuated SIV vaccine strains have yielded variable results depending on the route of immunization, the level of attenuation, the level of divergence between the vaccine candidate and the challenge. The protective mechanisms induced by these vaccines are still not well understood. In an effort to address whether the diversity of the CD4+ T cell repertoire in cynomolgus macaques plays a role in the immunological protection following SIVmacC8 infection, we have performed a longitudinal follow-up of the CD4 repertoire by heteroduplex tracking assay in macaques mock-infected or infected with either the attenuated SIVmacC8 or its homologous SIVmacJ5 and challenged with simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV89.6P). Viral load and CD4 absolute counts were determined in these animals and the presence of SHIV89.6P virus in challenged animals was evaluated by PCR and serology. In all macaques that were protected against the challenging virus, we demonstrated a reduced diversity in the CD4+ TRBV repertoire and a few dominant CD4+ T cell clones during early primary infection. In contrast, CD4 TRBV repertoire in unprotected macaques remained highly diverse. Moreover, some of the CD4 T cell clones that were expanded during primary SIV infection re-emerged after challenge suggesting their role in protection against the challenging virus. These results underline the importance of maintaining the CD4 T cell repertoire developed during acute infection and point to the restriction of the CD4 response to the vaccine as a correlate of protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- M-D Salha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada PQ H3A 2B4
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28
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Inaba H, Steeves M, Nguyen P, Geiger TL. In vivo suppression of naive CD4 T cell responses by IL-2- and antigen-stimulated T lymphocytes in the absence of APC competition. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2008; 181:3323-35. [PMID: 18714004 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.181.5.3323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
After stimulation, T cells enter a transient refractory period, promoted by IL-2, during which they are resistant to re-stimulation. We previously demonstrated that these IL-2- and Ag-stimulated refractory T cells are able to suppress the Ag-induced proliferation of naive T cells in vitro. We show here that, after adoptive transfer, these T cells are also able to suppress naive T cell proliferation in vivo. More interestingly, potently suppressive T cells can be generated directly in vivo by stimulation with Ag and supplemental IL-2. The activity of the suppressive cells is dose dependent, and the suppressor and suppressed T cells need not be restricted to the same MHC or Ag. Similar to its role in promoting T cell-mediated suppression in vitro, IL-2 is critical for the induction of suppressive activity in activated T cells in vivo. Supplemental IL-2, however, cannot overcome the suppressive activity in target T cells, indicating that suppression is not mediated by competition for this cytokine. Although the activated T cells block naive T cell proliferation, the naive cells do engage Ag and up-regulate the CD25 and CD69 activation markers after stimulation. Therefore, activated T cells stimulated in the presence of IL-2 develop MHC- and Ag-unrestricted suppressive activity. These results provide a new mechanism for competition among CD4(+) T lymphocytes, in which initial waves of responding T cells may inhibit subsequently recruited naive T cells. They further suggest a novel negative feedback loop limiting the expansion of T cell responses that may be present during vigorous immune responses or after IL-2 immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroto Inaba
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
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29
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Alli R, Nguyen P, Geiger TL. Retrogenic modeling of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis associates T cell frequency but not TCR functional affinity with pathogenicity. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2008; 181:136-45. [PMID: 18566378 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.181.1.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The properties of a self-specific T cell's TCR that determine its pathogenicity are not well understood. We developed TCR retroviral transgenic, or retrogenic, models of myelin oligodendroglial glycoprotein (MOG)-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) to compare the pathologic potential of five H-2 Ab/MOG35-55-specific TCRs. The TCRs were cloned and retrovirally transduced into either TCRalphabeta-deficient hybridoma cells or Rag1-/- bone marrow progenitor cells. Comparison of the hybridomas, identical except for TCR sequence, revealed distinct responsiveness, or functionally determined affinity, for cognate Ag. Retrogenic mice were produced by transfer of transduced progenitor cells into Rag1-/- recipients. T cells were detected within 4 wk. Engraftment levels varied considerably among the different TCRs and showed separate variability among individual mice. T cells were predominantly naive and virtually exclusively CD4+ and CD25-. Relative responses of the retrogenic T cells to Ag paralleled those of the hybridoma cells. Induction of EAE through active immunization led to rapid and severe disease in all mice expressing MOG-specific TCR. The mice additionally developed spontaneous disease, the incidence of which varied with the individual receptors. Interestingly, spontaneous disease frequency and intensity could not be correlated with the functional affinity of the respective TCR. Instead, it was associated with engraftment level, even when measured weeks before the onset of disease symptoms. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using retrogenic modeling to compare TCRs in the EAE system. They further suggest that affinity is not a primary determinant in spontaneous EAE development in mice expressing monotypic TCRs and that autoreactive T cell frequency is of greater significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajshekhar Alli
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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30
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Penitente R, Nicolò C, Van den Elzen P, Di Sante G, Agrati C, Aloisi F, Sercarz EE, Ria F. Administration of PLP139–151 Primes T Cells Distinct from Those Spontaneously Responsive In Vitro to This Antigen. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2008; 180:6611-22. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.180.10.6611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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31
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Malherbe L, Mark L, Fazilleau N, McHeyzer-Williams LJ, McHeyzer-Williams MG. Vaccine adjuvants alter TCR-based selection thresholds. Immunity 2008; 28:698-709. [PMID: 18450485 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2008.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2008] [Revised: 02/29/2008] [Accepted: 03/06/2008] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
How T cell receptor (TCR) specificity evolves in vivo after protein vaccination is central to the development of helper T (Th) cell function. Most models of clonal selection in the Th cell compartment favor TCR affinity-based thresholds. Here, we demonstrated that depot-forming vaccine adjuvants did not require Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists to induce clonal dominance in antigen-specific Th cell responses. However, readily dispersible adjuvants using TLR-9 and TLR-4 agonists skewed TCR repertoire usage by increasing TCR selection thresholds and enhancing antigen-specific clonal expansion. In this manner, vaccine adjuvants control the local accumulation of Th cells expressing TCR with the highest peptide MHC class II binding. Clonal composition was altered by mechanisms that blocked the local propagation of clonotypes independently of antigen dose and not as a consequence of interclonal competition. This capacity of adjuvants to modify antigen-specific Th cell clonal composition has fundamental implications for the design of future protein subunit vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Malherbe
- Department of Immunology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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32
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Menezes JS, van den Elzen P, Thornes J, Huffman D, Droin NM, Maverakis E, Sercarz EE. A public T cell clonotype within a heterogeneous autoreactive repertoire is dominant in driving EAE. J Clin Invest 2007; 117:2176-85. [PMID: 17627303 PMCID: PMC1906731 DOI: 10.1172/jci28277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2006] [Accepted: 04/30/2007] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model of multiple sclerosis. Immunization of B10.PL mice with the Ac1-9 peptide, the immunodominant determinant of myelin basic protein (MBP), produced a single episode of EAE followed by recovery and resistance to reinduction of disease. Using the CDR3 length spectratyping technique, we characterized the clonal composition of the Ac1-9-specific T cell repertoire from induction through onset and resolution of disease. Two clonally restricted subsets within a heterogeneous self-reactive repertoire were found in mouse lymph nodes, spleen, and spinal cord soon after immunization, before any sign of EAE. These clonotypes, designated BV8S2/BJ2S7 and BV16/BJ2S5, were present in all mice examined and thus considered public. BV8S2/BJ2S7 was found in far greater excess; was exclusively Th1 polarized; disappeared from the spinal cord, spleen, and lymph nodes concomitantly with recovery; and transferred disease to naive recipients. In contrast, BV16/BJ2S5 and numerous private clonotypes were either Th1 or Th2 and persisted following recovery. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the public clonotype BV8S2/BJ2S7 is a driver of disease and necessary for its propagation.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Complementarity Determining Regions/genetics
- Complementarity Determining Regions/immunology
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/chemically induced
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/genetics
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/immunology
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/pathology
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/genetics
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/immunology
- Mice
- Multiple Sclerosis/chemically induced
- Multiple Sclerosis/genetics
- Multiple Sclerosis/immunology
- Multiple Sclerosis/pathology
- Myelin Basic Protein/genetics
- Myelin Basic Protein/immunology
- Myelin Basic Protein/toxicity
- Organ Specificity/genetics
- Organ Specificity/immunology
- Peptide Fragments/genetics
- Peptide Fragments/immunology
- Peptide Fragments/toxicity
- Recovery of Function/genetics
- Recovery of Function/immunology
- Th1 Cells/immunology
- Th1 Cells/pathology
- Th2 Cells/immunology
- Th2 Cells/pathology
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Affiliation(s)
- Juscilene S. Menezes
- Division of Immune Regulation, Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, San Diego, California, USA.
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Peter van den Elzen
- Division of Immune Regulation, Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, San Diego, California, USA.
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Jordan Thornes
- Division of Immune Regulation, Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, San Diego, California, USA.
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Donald Huffman
- Division of Immune Regulation, Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, San Diego, California, USA.
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Nathalie M. Droin
- Division of Immune Regulation, Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, San Diego, California, USA.
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Emanual Maverakis
- Division of Immune Regulation, Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, San Diego, California, USA.
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Eli E. Sercarz
- Division of Immune Regulation, Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, San Diego, California, USA.
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, San Diego, California, USA
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Fazilleau N, Eisenbraun MD, Malherbe L, Ebright JN, Pogue-Caley RR, McHeyzer-Williams LJ, McHeyzer-Williams MG. Lymphoid reservoirs of antigen-specific memory T helper cells. Nat Immunol 2007; 8:753-61. [PMID: 17529982 DOI: 10.1038/ni1472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2007] [Accepted: 04/23/2007] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
How vaccines control the development of antigen-specific effector and memory T helper cells is central to protective immunity but remains poorly understood. Here we found that protein vaccination selected high-affinity, CXCR5+ICOS(hi) follicular B-helper T cells (T(FH) cells) that developed in draining lymphoid tissue to regulate B cell responses. In the memory phase, reservoirs of antigen-specific CXCR5+ICOS(lo) T(FH) cells persisted with less effector activity but accelerated antigen-recall ability. This new compartment of memory T(FH) cells was retained in draining lymphoid sites with antigen-specific memory B cells, persistent complexes of peptide and major histocompatibility complex class II and continued expression of CD69. Thus, protein vaccination promotes B cell immunity by selecting high-affinity effector T(FH) cells and creating lymphoid reservoirs of antigen-specific memory T(FH) cells in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Fazilleau
- Department of Immunology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
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34
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Soulard V, Roland J, Sellier C, Gruner AC, Leite-de-Moraes M, Franetich JF, Rénia L, Cazenave PA, Pied S. Primary infection of C57BL/6 mice with Plasmodium yoelii induces a heterogeneous response of NKT cells. Infect Immun 2007; 75:2511-22. [PMID: 17307938 PMCID: PMC1865793 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01818-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
NKT cells are a population of innate-like lymphocytes that display effector functions and immunoregulatory properties. We characterized the NKT cell response induced in C57BL/6 mice during a primary infection with Plasmodium yoelii sporozoites. We observed a heterogeneous NKT cell response that differed between liver and spleen. Hepatic NKT cells found in infected livers consisted mainly of CD1d-dependent CD4+ and double-negative (DN) NKT cells, whereas CD1d-independent NKT cells exhibiting a TCR(high) CD4(high) phenotype were prominent among splenic NKT cells during the infection. Hepatic and splenic NKT cells isolated from infected mice were activated and secreted mainly gamma interferon and tumor necrosis factor alpha in response to stimulation. Finally, P. yoelii-activated hepatic DN NKT cells inhibited the parasite's liver stage in a CD1d-dependent manner in vitro. However, experiments using B6.CD1d-deficient mice showed that CD1d and CD1d-restricted NKT cells are not necessary to control the parasite's development in vivo during neither the preerythrocytic stage nor the erythrocytic stage. Thus, our results show that a primary P. yoelii infection induces a heterogeneous and organ-specific response of NKT cells and that CD1d-dependent NKT cells play a minor role in the control of the development of Plasmodium in vivo in our model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Soulard
- Unité d'Immunophysiopathologie Infectieuse, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France
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35
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Rolla S, Nicoló C, Malinarich S, Orsini M, Forni G, Cavallo F, Ria F. Distinct and non-overlapping T cell receptor repertoires expanded by DNA vaccination in wild-type and HER-2 transgenic BALB/c mice. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2007; 177:7626-33. [PMID: 17114432 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.177.11.7626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Central tolerance to tumor-associated Ags is an immune-escape mechanism that significantly limits the TCR repertoires available for tumor eradication. The repertoires expanded in wild-type BALB/c and rat-HER-2/neu (rHER-2) transgenic BALB-neuT mice following DNA immunization against rHER-2 were compared by spectratyping the variable (V)beta and the joining (J)beta CDR 3. Following immunization, BALB/c mice raised a strong response. Every mouse used one or more CD8+ T cell rearrangements of the Vbeta9-Jbeta1.2 segments characterized by distinct length of the CDR3 and specific for 63-71 or 1206-1214 rHER-2 peptides. In addition, two CD4+ T cell rearrangements recurred in >50% of mice. Instead, BALB-neuT mice displayed a limited response to rHER-2. Their repertoire is smaller and uses different rearrangements confined to CD4+ T cells. Thus, central tolerance in BALB-neuT mice acts by silencing the BALB/c mice self-reactive repertoire and reducing the size of the CD8+ T cell component. CD8+ and CD4+ T cells from both wild-type and transgenic mice home to tumors. This definition of the T cell repertoires available is critical to the designing of immunological maneuvers able to elicit an effective immune reaction against HER-2-driven carcinogenesis.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Female
- Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor
- Genes, T-Cell Receptor beta
- Immune Tolerance
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Transgenic
- RNA, Messenger/analysis
- Receptor, ErbB-2/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Recombinant Proteins/immunology
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Transfection
- Tumor Escape
- Vaccines, DNA
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Rolla
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Biologiche, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Turner SJ, Doherty PC, McCluskey J, Rossjohn J. Structural determinants of T-cell receptor bias in immunity. Nat Rev Immunol 2006; 6:883-94. [PMID: 17110956 DOI: 10.1038/nri1977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 273] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Antigen-specific T-cell responses induced by infection, transplantation, autoimmunity or hypersensitivity are characterized by cells expressing biased profiles of T-cell receptors (TCRs) that are selected from a diverse, naive repertoire. Here, we review the evidence for these TCR biases, focusing on crystallographic analysis of the structural constraints that determine the binding of a TCR to its ligand and the persistence of certain TCRs in an immune repertoire. We discuss the ways in which diversity in a selected TCR repertoire can contribute to protective immunity and the implications of this for vaccine design and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Turner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
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37
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Abstract
We consider four sequential phases in the evolution and consolidation of high affinity B-cell memory as it is regulated in a cognate manner by antigen-specific T-helper (Th) cells. Sequential developmental checkpoints control cell fate in each phase of the pathway in ways that still remain poorly understood. The cellular composition and molecular attributes of each checkpoint are of great interest, but they may vary substantially depending on the nature of the immune stimulus. How this stimulus cascades through the innate and then the adaptive immune responses defines initial effector mechanisms in both Th and B-cell compartments. The germinal center reaction controls memory B-cell development with roles for antigen presentation and cognate Th cell regulation in the establishment of the memory B-cell compartment. Antigen re-challenge rapidly promotes effector responses from the memory compartments of both Th and B cells. Importantly, re-challenge also expands and consolidates immune memory at the serological and cellular levels. We review recent advances in our understanding of memory B-cell evolution with emphasis on the regulatory checkpoints that control lymphocyte fate at each developmental juncture.
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van den Boorn JG, Le Poole IC, Luiten RM. T-cell avidity and tuning: the flexible connection between tolerance and autoimmunity. Int Rev Immunol 2006; 25:235-58. [PMID: 16818373 PMCID: PMC3462655 DOI: 10.1080/08830180600743081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Thymic T-cell selection mechanisms generate a cross-reactive, self-MHC restricted peripheral T-cell pool. Affinity and avidity are of profound influence on this selection and the generation of immunity. Autoreactive T cells can escape thymic deletion by lowering their avidity and retain this "tuned" state in the periphery. Upon activation, tuned T cells can cause autoimmunity, while immunotherapeutic strategies may be hampered by existing T-cell tolerance. The regulation of T-cell avidity and tuning therefore determines the balance between tolerance and autoimmunity and should be taken into account in the design of therapeutic strategies aimed at T-cell reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper G van den Boorn
- Netherlands Institute for Pigment Disorders and Department of Dermatology, AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Nicolò C, Di Sante G, Orsini M, Rolla S, Columba-Cabezas S, Romano Spica V, Ricciardi G, Chan BMC, Ria F. Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the adjuvant modulates the balance of Th immune response to self-antigen of the CNS without influencing a “core” repertoire of specific T cells. Int Immunol 2006; 18:363-74. [PMID: 16415105 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxh376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we use modified CDR3 beta-chain spectratyping (immunoscope) to dissect the effect of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT)-derived proteins on individual PLP139-151-specific cells in the SJL mouse strain. In this model, the immunoscope technique allows the characterization of a public TCR that involves rearrangement of Vbeta10 and Jbeta1.1 and a semi-private TCR characterized by rearrangement of Vbeta4 and Jbeta1.6. Both rearrangements are specific for PLP139-151 and sequences of the CDR3 region of the two beta-chains show a conserved motif for the public rearrangement and related but more variable sequences for the semi-private rearrangement. MT-derived proteins promote increase of IFN-gamma-secreting cells. However, we observe that the presence and amount of MT used during immunization have no effect on the frequency of usage, polarization and in vivo expansion of cells carrying the studied rearrangements. Rather, the strong Th1-promoting effect of adjuvant is possibly due to recruitment toward Th1 of a wider spectrum of TCR repertoires. Therefore, instead of having a comprehensive effect on the entire repertoire, MT modulates the immune response by affecting a subset of antigen-specific T cells whose polarization can be adapted to the environment. This step establishes the final balance between Th1 and Th2 and may be essential for the enhancement or protection of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Nicolò
- Institute of General Pathology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
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40
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Sant AJ, Chaves FA, Jenks SA, Richards KA, Menges P, Weaver JM, Lazarski CA. The relationship between immunodominance, DM editing, and the kinetic stability of MHC class II:peptide complexes. Immunol Rev 2005; 207:261-78. [PMID: 16181342 DOI: 10.1111/j.0105-2896.2005.00307.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Immunodominance refers to the restricted antigen specificity of T cells detected in the immune response after immunization with complex antigens. Despite the presence of many potential peptide epitopes within these immunogens, the elicited T-cell response apparently focuses on a very limited number of peptides. Over the last two decades, a number of distinct explanations have been put forth to explain this very restricted specificity of T cells, many of which suggest that endosomal antigen processing restricts the array of peptides available to recruit CD4 T cells. In this review, we present evidence from our laboratory that suggest that immunodominance in CD4 T-cell responses is primarily due to an intrinsic property of the peptide:class II complexes. The intrinsic kinetic stability of peptide:class II complexes controls DM editing within the antigen-presenting cells and thus the initial epitope density on priming dendritic cells. Additionally, we hypothesize that peptides that possess high kinetic stability interactions with class II molecules display persistence at the cell surface over time and will more efficiently promote T-cell signaling and differentiation than competing, lower-stability peptides contained within the antigen. We discuss this model in the context of the existing data in the field of immunodominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea J Sant
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Aab Institute and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
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41
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Abstract
Recognition of a peptide-MHC complex by the T cell receptor (TCR) is a key interaction that initiates T lymphocyte activation or silencing during an immune response. Fluorochrome-labeled recombinant MHC class II-peptide reagents function as soluble mimetics of this interaction, bind to their specific TCR, and allow for detection of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells. These reagents are now under scrutiny for "immune staging" of patients at risk of type 1 diabetes, in an effort to diagnose islet autoimmunity early enough to block immune-mediated beta cell destruction. Several issues are currently being addressed to improve the performance of these T cell assays: enrichment steps for better sensitivity, multiplexing of several islet epitopes, simultaneous monitoring of CD4+ and CD8+ responses, detection of low avidity T cells, combination of quantitative (number of positive cells) and qualitative (cytokine secretion, naive/memory phenotype) readouts. CD4+ T cells are key effectors of autoimmunity, and these MHC class II peptide reagents, through their signaling properties, might also provide therapeutics to block the autoimmune process at its onset, analogous to the use of OKT3gammao1(AlaAla) anti-CD3 antibody but in an antigen-specific fashion. The aim of such therapeutics is to potentiate different physiological control mechanisms to restore immune tolerance. Mechanisms initiated by this pathway may be capable of triggering elimination of pathogenic T cells through antigen-specific apoptosis and anergy, combined with the induction of regulatory T cells with broad suppressive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Mallone
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason and Department of Immunology
University of Washington School of MedicineUS
| | - Gerald T. Nepom
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason and Department of Immunology
University of Washington School of MedicineUS
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42
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Falta MT, Fontenot AP, Rosloniec EF, Crawford F, Roark CL, Bill J, Marrack P, Kappler J, Kotzin BL. Class II major histocompatibility complex-peptide tetramer staining in relation to functional avidity and T cell receptor diversity in the mouse CD4(+) T cell response to a rheumatoid arthritis-associated antigen. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 52:1885-96. [PMID: 15934080 DOI: 10.1002/art.21098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although studies have suggested that human cartilage (HC) gp-39 may be an antigen recognized by autoreactive CD4(+) T cells in rheumatoid arthritis, we previously failed to identify specific CD4(+) T cells in patients' synovial fluid or blood using a class II major histocompatibility complex-peptide tetramer composed of the immunodominant HC gp-39(263-275) epitope covalently linked to DR4. We undertook this study to better understand the parameters for specific binding of this tetramer. METHODS DR4-transgenic mice were immunized with the HC gp-39 peptide, and a set of peptide-responsive hybridomas was derived. Hybridomas were stained with the DR4-gp-39 tetramer and cultured with increasing amounts of peptide in the presence of DR4-expressing antigen-presenting cells to determine functional avidity. RESULTS Great variability was apparent in the ability of the tetramer to stain the hybridomas, and there was a strong correlation between the intensity of tetramer staining and functional avidity. Importantly, nearly 30% of the hybridomas did not stain with tetramer, and these cells exhibited relatively low functional avidity. Although the addition of an anti-T cell receptor (anti-TCR) monoclonal antibody during the staining procedure enhanced binding of the tetramer to a number of the hybridomas, a significant percentage remained unstainable. Analysis of TCR expression showed that >90% of the hybridomas expressed the same TCR beta-chain variable region (V(beta)10), and sequencing of the TCR junctional regions showed diversity in the third complementarity-determining region. CONCLUSION These results suggest that immune responses dominated by relatively low-affinity TCR interactions, such as those that may occur in autoimmune disease, will be difficult to detect using standard tetramer techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Falta
- University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, Colorado 80262, USA.
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43
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Jiang H, Wu Y, Liang B, Zheng Z, Tang G, Kanellopoulos J, Soloski M, Winchester R, Goldstein I, Chess L. An affinity/avidity model of peripheral T cell regulation. J Clin Invest 2005; 115:302-12. [PMID: 15668735 PMCID: PMC544609 DOI: 10.1172/jci23879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2004] [Accepted: 12/01/2004] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
We show in these studies that Qa-1-dependent CD8+ T cells are involved in the establishment and maintenance of peripheral self tolerance as well as facilitating affinity maturation of CD4+ T cells responding to foreign antigen. We provide experimental evidence that the strategy used by the Qa-1-dependent CD8+ T cells to accomplish both these tasks in vivo is to selectively downregulate T cell clones that respond to both self and foreign antigens with intermediate, not high or low, affinity/avidity. Thus, the immune system evolved to regulate peripheral immunity using a unified mechanism that efficiently and effectively permits the system to safeguard peripheral self tolerance yet promote the capacity to deal with foreign invaders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Jiang
- Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA.
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44
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Fazilleau N, Cabaniols JP, Lemaître F, Motta I, Kourilsky P, Kanellopoulos JM. Valpha and Vbeta public repertoires are highly conserved in terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-deficient mice. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2005; 174:345-55. [PMID: 15611258 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.174.1.345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
T cell repertoires observed in response to immunodominant and subdominant peptides include private, i.e., specific for each individual, as well as public, i.e., common to all mice or humans of the same MHC haplotype, Valpha-Jalpha and Vbeta-Dbeta-Jbeta rearrangements. To measure the impact of N-region diversity on public repertoires, we have characterized the alphabeta TCRs specific for several CD4 or CD8 epitopes of wild-type mice and of mice deficient in the enzyme TdT. We find that V, (D), J usage identified in public repertoires is strikingly conserved in TdT(o/o) mice, even for the CDR3 loops which are shorter than those found in TdT(+/+) animals. Moreover, the 10- to 20-fold decrease in alphabeta T cell diversity in TdT(o/o) mice did not prevent T cells from undergoing affinity maturation during secondary responses. A comparison of the CDR3beta in published public and private repertoires indicates significantly reduced N-region diversity in public CDR3beta. We interpret our findings as suggesting that public repertoires are produced more efficiently than private ones by the recombination machinery. Alternatively, selection may be biased in favor of public repertoires in the context of the interactions between TCR and MHC peptide complexes and we hypothesize that MHCalpha helices are involved in the selection of public repertoires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Fazilleau
- Unité de Biologie Moléculaire du Gène, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Unité 277, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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45
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Malherbe L, Hausl C, Teyton L, McHeyzer-Williams MG. Clonal selection of helper T cells is determined by an affinity threshold with no further skewing of TCR binding properties. Immunity 2004; 21:669-79. [PMID: 15539153 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2004.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2004] [Revised: 09/09/2004] [Accepted: 09/29/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Helper T cell responses that focus the TCR repertoire of responding clones provide experimental access to the mechanisms of clonal selection in vivo. Using TCRbeta chain animals, we directly evaluate the extent of TCRalpha CDR3 diversity and the pMHCII binding attributes of individual antigen-specific Th cells. Here, we demonstrate that dominant clonotypes, as defined by TCR junctional sequence similarities, are surprisingly diverse at the level of pMHCII binding properties, before and after antigen exposure. During an immune response, we can detect and quantify the selective loss of antigen-specific clonotypes that express lower-affinity TCR. This affinity threshold selection is followed by the unbiased propagation of preferred clonotypes regardless of TCR-pMHCII half-lives or affinity. Thus, an affinity threshold mechanism discriminates Th clones with TCR of best fit and propagates clonal diversity without promoting autoreactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Malherbe
- Department of Immunology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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46
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McCue D, Ryan KR, Wraith DC, Anderton SM. Activation thresholds determine susceptibility to peptide-induced tolerance in a heterogeneous myelin-reactive T cell repertoire. J Neuroimmunol 2004; 156:96-106. [PMID: 15465600 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2004.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2004] [Revised: 05/27/2004] [Accepted: 07/23/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Altered peptide ligands (APL) with increased MHC-binding properties are highly effective at inducing T cell tolerance after systemic administration in soluble form, preventing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced with the myelin basic protein (MBP) Ac1-9 peptide. We have previously described a diverse Ac1-9-reactive T cell repertoire with differing TCR affinities. A remaining question is what proportion of this repertoire is silenced by peptide therapy? Here, we show that the sensitivity of a T cell to peptide-induced tolerance is related to its avidity for native Ac1-9. These data provide new evidence that self-reactive T cells bearing low-affinity TCRs are able to escape therapeutic induction of tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- David McCue
- University of Edinburgh, Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK
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47
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Schilbach K, Schick J, Fluhr H, Marquordt K, Wehrmann M, Schütt BS, Schlegel PG, Niethammer D, Eyrich M. Organ-Specific T Cell Receptor Repertoire in Target Organs of Murine Graft-Versus-Host After Transplantation Across Minor Histocompatibility Antigen Barriers. Transplantation 2004; 78:31-40. [PMID: 15257036 DOI: 10.1097/01.tp.0000133510.47573.97] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Minor histocompatibility antigens (miHags) are recognized by alloreactive cytotoxic donor T lymphocytes and trigger potent immune reactions such as graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) after major histocompatibility complex-matched transplantation. Our study focuses on tissue-specific T-cell responses to miHag-encoded peptides in GvHD target organs during the first 30 days in a murine transplant model. METHODS Complementarity determining region (CDR)3-size spectratyping was used to study T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires in recipient skin, liver, ileum, colon, spleen, and heart. RESULTS GvHD occurred as early as day 14 and was proven by histology in skin, liver, ileum, and colon. The heart was histologically not affected by GvHD but showed endomyocardial "quilty lesions." Two distinct patterns of TCR diversities could be identified. In skin, a restricted V beta usage in combination with all J beta segments contrasted with a complete V beta repertoire in intestinal organs combined with a restricted J beta usage. Interestingly, TCR repertoire in the heart was almost identical with intestinal CDR3-size patterns. Persisting clones were found in skin from day 9 to 30. In intestine and heart, identical sequences were obtained from several organs on day 14 and 21, but no persistence of CDR3 sequences could be observed. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that in the skin a limited number of persisting T cell clones maintains GvHD, whereas in the intestine, temporary expansions of different clones may fuel the process of GvHD. Strategies that eliminate tissue-specific T cells on the basis of their activational status rather than their V beta expression but at the same time preserve a broad, overall TCR repertoire will help to increase the efficacy and safety of allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Schilbach
- Children's Hospital, Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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48
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Scherer A, Noest A, de Boer RJ. Activation-threshold tuning in an affinity model for the T-cell repertoire. Proc Biol Sci 2004; 271:609-16. [PMID: 15156919 PMCID: PMC1691638 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2003.2653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Naive T cells respond to peptides from foreign proteins and remain tolerant to self peptides from endogenous proteins. It has been suggested that self tolerance comes about by a 'tuning' mechanism, i.e. by increasing the T-cell activation threshold upon interaction with self peptides. Here, we explore how such an adaptive mechanism of T-cell tolerance would influence the reactivity of the T-cell repertoire to foreign peptides. We develop a computer simulation model in which T cells are tolerized by increasing their activation-threshold dependent on the affinity with which they see self peptides presented in the thymus. Thus, different T cells acquire different activation thresholds (i.e. different cross-reactivities). In previous mathematical models, T-cell tolerance was deletional and based on a fixed cross-reactivity parameter, which was assumed to have evolved to an optimal value. Comparing these two different tolerance-induction mechanisms, we found that the tuning model performs somewhat better than an optimized deletion model in terms of the reactivity to foreign antigens. Thus, evolutionary optimization of clonal cross-reactivity is not required. A straightforward extension of the tuning model is to delete T-cell clones that obtain a too high activation threshold, and to replace these by new clones. The reactivity of the immune repertoires of such a replacement model is enchanced compared with the basic tuning model. These results demonstrate that activation-threshold tuning is a functional mechanism for self tolerance induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almut Scherer
- Theoretical Biology/Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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49
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Allan MJ, Callard R, Stark J, Yates A. Comparing antigen-independent mechanisms of T cell regulation. J Theor Biol 2004; 228:81-95. [PMID: 15064084 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2003.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2003] [Revised: 12/01/2003] [Accepted: 12/09/2003] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Key features of the kinetics of T lymphocyte proliferative responses are remarkably insensitive to the nature of the antigenic stimulus. This consistency suggests the presence of an antigen-independent mechanism regulating T cell clonal expansion. Knowledge of such a mechanism could allow us to modulate T helper cell (CD4+) and cytotoxic T cell (CD8+) responses more effectively. Using a simple mathematical model of T cell proliferation and death, we investigate a variety of plausible mechanisms and compare the model predictions to experimental data from the literature. We find that irrespective of the details of the mechanism, rates of apoptosis must progressively increase to control a T cell response. If apoptosis is mediated by cell-cell contact this alone is sufficient to regulate both (CD4+) and (CD8+) T cell responses. Proliferation of both T cell subsets can also be regulated by an internal programme, by cytokine signalling, or by an APC-mediated route. To regulate (CD8+) T cells these mechanisms must change both apoptosis and division rates, and this change must occur with time not division number.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Allan
- Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK.
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50
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Standifer NE, Kraig E, Infante AJ. A hierarchy of T cell receptor motifs determines responsiveness to the immunodominant epitope in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis. J Neuroimmunol 2004; 145:68-76. [PMID: 14644032 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2003.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The predominant murine T lymphocyte population responding to Talpha146-162, the immunodominant epitope in EAMG, expresses the TCRBV 6 gene segment. However, cells expressing other TCRBV gene segments also react with this peptide. In order to more precisely characterize the Talpha146-162-specific TCR repertoire, we isolated CD4high cells from peptide-immunized mice. The majority of CD4high cells utilized an acidic TCR beta chain CDR3 motif regardless of TCRBV gene usage. Analysis of T cell clones demonstrated a fourfold higher avidity of Vbeta6+ than non-Vbeta6 cells for Talpha146-162 indicating that a hierarchy of TCR motifs determines T cell responsiveness in EAMG.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Motifs
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/pathology
- Cell Division/immunology
- Clone Cells
- Complementarity Determining Regions/biosynthesis
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/administration & dosage
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/biosynthesis
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/genetics
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/immunology
- Female
- Gene Rearrangement, alpha-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor
- Immunodominant Epitopes/administration & dosage
- Immunodominant Epitopes/biosynthesis
- Immunodominant Epitopes/genetics
- Immunodominant Epitopes/immunology
- Lymphocyte Activation/immunology
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Myasthenia Gravis, Autoimmune, Experimental/immunology
- Myasthenia Gravis, Autoimmune, Experimental/pathology
- Peptide Fragments/administration & dosage
- Peptide Fragments/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/administration & dosage
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/biosynthesis
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/immunology
- T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology
- T-Lymphocyte Subsets/metabolism
- T-Lymphocyte Subsets/pathology
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan E Standifer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA.
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