Only T cells with the capacity to bind to self-peptide MHC complexes (self-reactivity) are included in the repertoire because of positive selection. And yet, self-reactivity is also the perilous feature of T cells that cause autoimmune disease. The distinction between useful and dangerous T cells is a matter of degree, with T cells that have a low affinity for self-MHC being useful, and those that have high affinity for self-MHC being dangerous. Yet to date, it has not been possible to study or measure the self-reactivity of diverse polyclonal populations of T cells. We propose to use a novel Nur77GFP BAC transgenic reporter mouse, in combination with tetramer enrichment and various gene deficiency models to quantitative self-reactivity in polyclonal T cells from normal and autoimmune disease prone animals. The three specific aims are: 1) to enumerate and study the T cells that are normally clonally deleted, 2) to define the contribution of CD28, medullary epithelial cells, and dendritic cells to negative selection in the thymus, and 3) to identify and characterize the self-reactive T cells that are present in diabetes-prone mice.

Public Health Relevance

Autoimmune disease is major human health problem whose origins are not well understood, and for which new treatments are strongly needed. This project is relevant because it attempts to identify and study the pool of T lymphocytes that autoimmune disease causing T cells arise from.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Program Projects (P01)
Project #
5P01AI035296-24
Application #
9267919
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAI1)
Project Start
Project End
2019-04-30
Budget Start
2017-05-01
Budget End
2018-04-30
Support Year
24
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Department
Type
DUNS #
555917996
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
Country
United States
Zip Code
55455
Osum, Kevin C; Burrack, Adam L; Martinov, Tijana et al. (2018) Interferon-gamma drives programmed death-ligand 1 expression on islet ? cells to limit T cell function during autoimmune diabetes. Sci Rep 8:8295
Ruscher, Roland; Hogquist, Kristin A (2018) Intravenous Labeling and Analysis of the Content of Thymic Perivascular Spaces. Bio Protoc 8:
Kotov, Dmitri I; Kotov, Jessica A; Goldberg, Michael F et al. (2018) Many Th Cell Subsets Have Fas Ligand-Dependent Cytotoxic Potential. J Immunol 200:2004-2012
Burrack, Adam L; Malhotra, Deepali; Dileepan, Thamotharampillai et al. (2018) Cutting Edge: Allograft Rejection Is Associated with Weak T Cell Responses to Many Different Graft Leukocyte-Derived Peptides. J Immunol 200:477-482
Breed, Elise R; Lee, S Thera; Hogquist, Kristin A (2018) Directing T cell fate: How thymic antigen presenting cells coordinate thymocyte selection. Semin Cell Dev Biol 84:2-10
Leonard, John D; Gilmore, Dana C; Dileepan, Thamotharampillai et al. (2017) Identification of Natural Regulatory T Cell Epitopes Reveals Convergence on a Dominant Autoantigen. Immunity 47:107-117.e8
Schuldt, Nathaniel J; Auger, Jennifer L; Spanier, Justin A et al. (2017) Cutting Edge: Dual TCR? Expression Poses an Autoimmune Hazard by Limiting Regulatory T Cell Generation. J Immunol 199:33-38
Kalekar, Lokesh A; Mueller, Daniel L (2017) Relationship between CD4 Regulatory T Cells and Anergy In Vivo. J Immunol 198:2527-2533
Burrack, Adam L; Martinov, Tijana; Fife, Brian T (2017) T Cell-Mediated Beta Cell Destruction: Autoimmunity and Alloimmunity in the Context of Type 1 Diabetes. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 8:343
Ruscher, Roland; Kummer, Rebecca L; Lee, You Jeong et al. (2017) CD8?? intraepithelial lymphocytes arise from two main thymic precursors. Nat Immunol 18:771-779

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