The majority of regulatory Foxp3+CD4+ T cells naturally arises in the thymus. It has been proposed that T cell receptors (TCRs) on these cells recognize self-MHC class II-peptide complexes with high or higher affinity and that their specificities mirror specificities of autoreactive T cells. Here, we analyzed hundreds of TCRs derived from regulatory or nonregulatory T cells and found little evidence that the former population preferably recognizes self-antigens as agonists. Instead, these cells recognized foreign MHC-peptide complexes as often as nonregulatory T cells. Our results show that high-affinity, autoreactive TCRs are rare on all CD4+ T cells and suggest that selecting self-peptide is different from the peptide that activates the same regulatory T cells in the periphery.

Summary The CD4+ CD25+ regulatory population of T cells (Treg cells), which expresses the forkhead family transcription factor (Foxp3), is the key component of the peripheral tolerance mechanism that protects us from a variety of autoimmune diseases. Experimental evidence shows that Treg cells recognize a wide range of antigenic specificities with increased reactivity to self antigens, although the affinity of these interactions remains to be further defined. The Treg repertoire is highly diverse with a distinct set of T‐cell receptors (TCRs), and yet is overlapping to some extent with the repertoire of conventional T cells (Tconv cells). The majority of Treg cells are generated in the thymus. However, the role of the TCR specificity in directing thymic precursors to become Treg or Tconv cells remains unclear. On the one hand, the higher self reactivity of Treg cells and utilization of different TCRs in Treg and Tconv repertoires suggest that in TCR interactions an initial decision is made about the ‘suitability’ of a developing thymocyte to become a Treg cell. On the other hand, as Treg cells can recognize a wide range of foreign antigens, have a diverse TCR repertoire, and show some degree of overlap with Tconv cells, the signals through the TCR may be complementary to the TCR‐independent process that generates precursors of Treg cells. In this review, we discuss how different features of the Treg repertoire influence our understanding of Treg specificities and the role of self reactivity in the generation of this population.

Medullary thymic epithelial cells expressing the Aire gene play a critical role in the induction of tolerance to tissue-specific Ags (TSAs). It was postulated that recognition of Aire-controlled TSAs by immature thymocytes results in the selection of natural CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) and enriches this repertoire in self-reactive receptors, contributing to its vast diversity. In this study, we compared the TCRs on individual Tregs in Aire+ and Aire− mice expressing a miniature TCR repertoire (TCRmini) along with GFP driven by the Foxp3 promoter (Foxp3GFP). The Treg TCR repertoires in Aire+ and Aire− TCRminiFoxp3GFP mice were similar and more diverse than their repertoires on CD4+ Foxp3− thymocytes. Further, TCRs found on potentially self-reactive T cells, with an activated phenotype (CD4+Foxp3−CD62Llow) in Aire− TCRminiFoxp3GFP mice, appear distinct from TCRs found on Tregs in Aire+ TCRminiFoxp3GFP mice. Lastly, we found no evidence that TSAs presented by medullary thymic epithelial cells in Aire+TCRmini mice are often recognized as agonists by Treg-derived TCR hybridomas or CD4+CD25+ thymocytes, containing both natural Tregs and precursors. Thus, positive selection and self-reactivity of the global Treg repertoire are not controlled by Aire-dependent TSAs.

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Non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice are well-established models of independently developing spontaneous autoimmune diseases, Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) and type 1 diabetes (T1D). The key determining factor for T1D is the strong association with particular MHCII molecule and recognition by diabetogenic T cell receptor (TCR) of an insulin peptide presented in the context of I-Ag7 molecule. For SS the association with MHCII polymorphism is weaker and TCR diversity involved in the onset of the autoimmune phase of SS remains poorly understood. To compare the impact of TCR diversity reduction on the development of both diseases we generated two lines of TCR transgenic NOD mice. One line expresses transgenic TCRβ chain originated from a pathogenically irrelevant TCR, and the second line additionally expresses transgenic TCRαmini locus. Analysis of TCR sequences on NOD background reveals lower TCR diversity on Treg cells not only in the thymus, but also in the periphery. This reduction in diversity does not affect conventional CD4+ T cells, as compared to the TCRmini repertoire on B6 background. Interestingly, neither transgenic TCRβ nor TCRmini mice develop diabetes, which we show is due to lack of insulin B:9–23 specific T cells in the periphery. Conversely SS develops in both lines, with full glandular infiltration, production of autoantibodies and hyposalivation. It shows that SS development is not as sensitive to limited availability of TCR specificities as T1D, which suggests wider range of possible TCR/peptide/MHC interactions driving autoimmunity in SS.

The interaction of Gram-negative bacterial cell wall products (endotoxins) with endothelial cells is thought to be responsible for many of the damaging manifestations of Gram-negative sepsis. Because cultured human endothelial cells are relatively resistant to the direct cytotoxic actions of endotoxin, it is possible that many of the systemic effects of endotoxin may be caused by stimulation of endothelial cells to produce biologically active mediators which could then act on targets such as smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and leukocytes. We hypothesized that one such endothelial cell-derived mediator could be platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), a protein that causes proliferation of mesenchymal cells, chemotaxis of leukocytes, fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells, and vasoconstriction. We therefore examined the effect of endotoxin on PDGF-like protein production by cultured adult human pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Twenty-four hours of endotoxin exposure resulted in a threefold increase in the steady-state levels of mRNA coding for PDGF B-chain (c-sis) and a two- to threefold increase in the amount of newly synthesized PDGF released into the media, as measured by immunoprecipitation of [35S]methionine-labeled protein with anti-PDGF antiserum. We conclude that human pulmonary artery endothelial cells in culture are stimulated both to produce increased amounts of PDGF mRNA and to release PDGF-like protein after exposure to endotoxin. This increased release of PDGF-like protein by human endothelial cells may play a role in the inflammatory infiltrate, vasospasm, and fibroblast proliferation that characterize the host response to endotoxin.

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Transplantation of allogeneic pancreatic islets or pancreas is one of the methods to control euglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes. However despite emergence of new tolerance induction protocols these patients require lifelong immunosuppression which is associated with many adverse effects including toxicity towards transplanted pancreatic β-cells. It has been previously shown that streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes can delay or abrogate rejection of allografts in CBA/J or C57BL/6 mice. To test this effect on autoimmune prone background we performed a series of allogeneic-islet transplantation experiments using NOD mice as recipients. Our results show that if transplanted during specific time window after STZ treatment (2-3 days) graft rejection will be delayed but not completely abrogated. Using insulin pump to control blood glucose level we demonstrate that STZ administration without episode of acute hyperglycemia is not sufficient to delay graft rejection. It is despite the fact that STZ injection alone results in increased frequency of regulatory CD4Foxp3+ T cells. Comparison of gene expression in CD4 T cells between STZ-treated and untreated mice shows selective increase of apoptosis in effector but not regulatory T cells.