Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Genetically restricted antigen presentation for immunological tolerance and suppression

Abstract

The activation of some subsets of T cells requires the recognition of antigen in association with self Ia determinants1,2. It is not clear, however, whether this is also necessary for the induction of unresponsiveness and the active suppression of haptenspecific T cells. We have studied the regulation of the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response in mice. Subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of haptenated syngeneic cells primarily activates T helper cells, while intravenous (i.v.) injection results in unresponsiveness and the activation of T suppressor cells3. Presentation of antigen by an I–A-positive antigen-presenting cell (APC) seems to be critical for T helper cell activation4. We now show that the activation of first-order T suppressor cells requires the presentation of hapten on an I–J-positive APC. However, i.v. injection of I–J-depleted haptenated cells also results in haptenspecific unresponsiveness. This non-transferable T-cell tolerance requires the presence of an I–A-positive APC and is genetically restricted. These results suggest that distinct modes of antigen presentation and administration are required for immunity, suppression and non-transferable tolerance.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Shevach, E. M. & Rosenthal, A. S. J. exp. Med. 138, 1213–1229 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Schwartz, R. H., David, C. S., Dorf, M. E., Benacerraf, B. & Paul, W. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 2387–2391 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Chase, M. W. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med. 61, 257–259 (1946).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Sprent, J., Korngold, R. & Molnar-Kimbar, K. Springer Semin. Immunopath. 3, 213–245 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Lowy, A., Tominaga, A., Drebin, J., Benacerraf, B. & Greene, M. I. J. exp. Med. 157, 353–358 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gershon, R. K. Comtemp. Topics Immunobiol. 3, 1–40 (1974).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Zembala, M., Asherson, G. & Colizzi, V. Nature 297, 411–413 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Minami, M., Nonji, N. & Dorf, M. E. J. exp. Med. 156, 1502–1515 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Green, E. F. & Colley, D. G. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 1152–1156 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Nossal, G. & Schrader, J. W. Transplantn Rev. 23, 138–158 (1975).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Claman, H. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 393, 291–299 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Chiller, J. M., Habicht, G. S. & Weigle, W. O. Science 171, 813–815 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Matzinger, P. & Watefield, J. D. Nature 285, 492–494 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Battisto, J. & Bloom, B. Nature 212, 156–157 (1966).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Claman, H. N., Miller, S. D., Sy, M.-S. & Moorehead, J. W. Immun. Rev. 50, 105–132 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Bach, B.A., Sherman, L., Benacerraf, B. & Greene, M.I. J. Immun. 121, 1460–1468 (1978).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Waldor, M. K., Sriram, S., McDevitt, H. O. & Steinman, L. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 2713–2717 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Berzofsky, J. A. & Richman, L. K. J. Immun. 126, 1898–1904 (1981).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Perry, L. L. & Greene, M. I. J. exp. Med. 156, 480–491 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lowy, A., Drebin, J., Monroe, J. et al. Genetically restricted antigen presentation for immunological tolerance and suppression. Nature 308, 373–375 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/308373a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/308373a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing