Identity of cells that imprint H–2-restricted T-cell specificity in the thymus

Abstract

The thymus has two important roles in controlling the specificity of T lymphocytes. First, T cells differentiating in the thymus are rendered tolerant of ‘self’ antigens, particularly antigens encoded by the major histocompatibility complex, the H–2 complex in mice¹. Second, the thymus imbues T cells with the property of H–2-restricted recognition of antigen, that is, the capacity of T cells to react with foreign antigens presented in association with self H–2 gene products^2,3. Until recently it has generally been assumed that self-tolerance and H–2-restricted specificity both reflect early T-cell contact with self H–2 determinants expressed on thymic epithelial cells. Recent evidence suggests, however, that intrathymic cells of the macrophage/dendritic cell (MØ/DC) lineage also have a role in shaping T-cell specificity^4–7. In particular, it has been found that the tolerance to graft-type H–2 determinants which normally ensues when T cells differentiate in an H–2-different thymus fails to occur when the thymus is pretreated with deoxyguanosine (dGuo)^6,7,a procedure that selectively destroys MØ/DC but spares epithelial cells⁸. In contrast to these findings on tolerance induction, evidence is presented here that dGuo-treated thymus grafts do imprint T cells with H–2-restricted specificity for antigen. It appears, therefore, that induction of tolerance and H–2 restriction are controlled by different cells in the thymus.