Previous studies have found that intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) contain virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) that increase dramatically during the course of virus infection. In the present study, the T-cell receptor (TCR) V pattern used by IEL against reovirus enteric infection was investigated both in conventional and in germfree mice. IEL were isolated by a modified rapid method, and their expression of 13 TCR Vs was examined by flow cytometric analysis. The virus-specific CTL activity of each TCR V subset was assessed by subtraction with coated Dyna beads by a nonradioactive assay. There was a preferential perturbation of TCR Vs following virus challenge, including increases in cells expressing V7,-12,-14, and-17 in conventional mice and V2,-12, and-17 in germfree mice. In conventionally reared mice, IEL maintained and restimulated in culture had a preferential use of TCR V9,-12, and-17. TCR V12 and-17 subfamilies were found amplified in all conditions. Furthermore, TCR V12 and-17 accounted for 37 and 77% of the virus-specific CTL activity, respectively, after in vitro restimulation. This study provides evidence that virus-specific CTL activity may be due to the oligoclonal expansion of TCR V subfamilies in IEL. Our findings suggest that in vivo infection selectively presents few T-cell epitopes and that the correct identification of these T-cell epitopes would increase the likelihood of success when designing subunit vaccines.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.