Physiological Induction of Regulatory Qa-1-Restricted CD8+ T Cells Triggered by Endogenous CD4+ T Cell Responses
Figure 1
Immunization with PCC protects mice from EAE.
A. Experimental design and hypothesis. C57BL/6 mice were immunized with either 50V PCC-derived peptide that induces a Vß8.2+CD4+ T cell response or an OVA-derived peptide that induces a Vß5+CD4+ T cell response. It is expected that the first T cell responses induce corresponding anti-Vß8.2 and anti-Vß5 CD8+ regulatory T cell responses. In order to test this hypothesis, mice were submitted to a second immunization with MOG. Encephalitogenic Vß8.2+ anti-MOG T cells would be controlled only by anti-Vß8.2 CD8+ T cells induced by the first antigenic challenge. In this experimental design, the control of self-reactive T cells is therefore reflected in the control of EAE development. B. Naive C57BL/6 mice were immunized subcutaneously with PBS (n = 7, squares), 100 µg of a 50V PCC-derived peptide (PCC, triangles, n = 5), or 100µg of an OVA-derived peptide (OVA, circles, n = 7) in CFA. Three weeks later, EAE was actively induced by subcutaneous immunization with MOG35-55 peptide and intravenous pertussis toxin (300 ng) injections on the day of induction and 2 days later. The clinical course of EAE was analyzed using a paralysis grading score over 30 days. Representative of 2 independent experiments. Mean ± SEM. * indicates that the p-value<0.001 as assessed using ANOVA Fisher's PLSD.