T cell recognition of rat myelin basic protein as a TCR antagonist inhibits reciprocal activation of antigen-presenting cells and engenders resistance to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess whether T cell recognition of myelin basic protein (MBP) as a partially antagonistic self antigen regulates the reciprocal activation of professional antigen-presenting cells (APC). This study focused on the rat 3H3 T cell clone that recognized guinea pig (GP) MBP as a full agonist and self rat (R) MBP as a partial agonist. In cultures of 3H3 T cells and splenic APC, the agonist GPMBP elicited several responses by splenic APC, including production of nitric oxide, down-regulation of I-A, induction of B7.1 and B7.2, and prolongation of APC survival. RMBP stimulated a partial increase in production of nitric oxide, partially promoted survival of splenic APC, but did not alter expression of I-A, B7.1, or B7.2 on splenic APC. In the presence ofGPMBP, RMBP antagonized agonist-stimulated induction of B7 molecules, reversed the loss of I-A, and promoted the generation of I-A(+), costimulus-deficient APC. Furthermore, 3H3 T cells cultured with RMBP and irradiated splenocytes reduced the severity of EAE upon adoptive transfer into naive rat recipients subsequently challenged with an encephalitogenic dose of GPMBP/CFA. Overall, this study indicates that T cell receptor antagonism blocks T cell activation, inhibits feedback activation of splenic APC, and promotes T cell-dependent regulatory activities in EAE.