Nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice expressing the BDC2.5 TCR transgene are useful for studying type 1 diabetes. Several peptides have been identified that are highly active in stimulating BDC2.5 T cells. Herein, we describe the use of I-Ag7 tetramers containing two such peptides, p79 and p17, to detect and characterize peptide-specific T cells. The tetramers could stain CD4+ T cells in the islets and spleens of BDC2.5 transgenic mice. The percentage of CD4+, tetramer+ T cells increased in older mice, and it was generally higher in the islets than in the spleens. Our results also showed that tetAg7/p79 could stain a small population of CD4+ T cells in both islets and spleens of NOD mice. The percentage of CD4+, tetramer+ T cells increased in cells that underwent further cell division after being activated by peptides. The avidity of TCRs on purified tetAg7/p79+ T cells for tetAg7/p79 was slightly lower than that of BDC2.5 T cells. Although tetAg7/p79+ T cells, like BDC2.5 T cells, secreted a large quantity of IFN-γ, they were biased toward being IL-10-producing cells. Additionally, <3% of these cells expressed TCR Vβ4. In vivo adoptive transfer experiments showed that NOD/scid recipient mice cotransferred with tetAg7/p79+ T cells and NOD spleen cells, like mice transferred with NOD spleen cells only, developed diabetes. Therefore, we have generated Ag-specific tetramers that could detect a heterogeneous population of T cells, and a very small number of NOD mouse T cells may represent BDC2.5-like cells.
Autoantigen-based immunotherapy can modulate autoimmune diabetes, perhaps due to the activation of Ag-specific regulatory T cells. Studies of these regulatory T cells should help us understand their roles in diabetes and aid in designing a more effective immunotherapy. We have used class II MHC tetramers to isolate Ag-specific T cells from nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice and BALB/c mice treated with glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 peptides (p206 and p221). Based on their cytokine secretion profiles, immunization of NOD mice with the same peptide induced different T cell subsets than in BALB/c mice. Treatment of NOD mice induced not only Th2 cells but also IFN-γ/IL-10-secreting T regulatory type 1 (Tr1) cells. Adoptive transfer experiments showed that isolated tetramer+ T cells specific for p206 or p221 could inhibit diabetes development. These cells were able to suppress the in vitro proliferation of other NOD mouse T cells without cell-cell contact. They performed their regulatory functions probably by secreting cytokines, and Abs against these cytokines could block their suppressive effect. Interestingly, the presence of both anti-IL-10 and anti-IFN-γ could enhance the target cell proliferation, suggesting that Tr1 cells play an important role. Further in vivo experiments showed that the tetramer+ T cells could block diabetogenic T cell migration into lymph nodes. Therefore, treatment of NOD mice with autoantigen could induce Th2 and Tr1 regulatory cells that can suppress the function and/or block the migration of other T cells, including diabetogenic T cells, and inhibit diabetes development.
Immunization of NOD mice with autoantigens such as glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) 221–235 peptide (p221) can induce Ag-specific CD4+ T regulatory (Tr) cells. However, it is unclear whether these Tr cells acquire their regulatory capacity due to immunization or whether they are constitutively harbored in unimmunized naive mice. To address this question, we used an I-Ag7 tetramer to isolate p221-specific T cells from naive NOD mice (N221+ cells) after peptide-specific in vitro expansion. The N221+ T cells produced IFN-γ and IL-10, but very little IL-4, in response to p221 stimulation. These T cells could function as regulatory cells and inhibit in vitro proliferation of diabetogenic BDC2.5 cells. This suppressive activity was cell contact-independent and was abrogated by Abs to IL-10 or IL-10R. Interestingly, IL-2 produced by other T cells present in the cell culture induced unactivated N221+ T cells to exhibit regulatory activities involving production of IL-10. In vivo, N221+ cells inhibited diabetes development when cotransferred with NOD splenocytes into NOD/scid recipients. Together, these results demonstrate that p221-specific IL-10-dependent Tr cells, including Tr type 1 cells, are present in naive NOD mice. The use of spontaneously arising populations of GAD peptide-specific Tr cells may represent a promising immunotherapeutic approach for preventing type 1 diabetes.
Regulatory T cells (Tr cells) play a critical role in inducing immune tolerance. It remains largely unclear how various types of Tr cells perform their regulatory function. We have studied the underlying regulatory mechanism of a population of autoantigen-specific CD4+ Tr cells. These T cells are specific for the glutamic acid decarboxylase p206–220 peptide and are isolated from the diabetes-resistant nonobese-resistant mice. Although these T cells express T-bet and display a Th1 phenotype, they are able to inhibit diabetes. Their regulatory function is dependent on both IFN-γ and cell contact with target cells. These Tr cells can mediate their cell contact-dependent regulatory function by secreting IFN-γ which stimulates APCs to produce NO. NO is necessary for the Tr cells to inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic T cells and the development of diabetes. Therefore, we have identified a novel mechanism by which these Tr cells can exert their regulatory function. These results also provide an explanation as to why IFN-γ may play both pathogenic and immunomodulatory roles in autoimmune diseases.
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