Nature Immunology5, 516 - 523 (2004)
Published online: 18 April 2004; | doi:10.1038/ni1063
Analysis of regulatory CD8 T cells in Qa-1-deficient mice
Dan Hu1, 2, Koichi Ikizawa1, 2, Linrong Lu1, Marie E Sanchirico1, Mari L Shinohara1
& Harvey Cantor1
1
Department of Cancer Immunology and AIDS, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
02115, USA.
The mouse protein Qa-1 (HLA-E in humans) is essential for immunological protection and immune regulation. Although Qa-1 has been linked to CD8 T cell−dependent suppression, the physiological relevance of this observation is unclear. We generated mice deficient in Qa-1 to develop an understanding of this process. Qa-1-deficient mice develop exaggerated secondary CD4 responses to foreign and self peptides. Enhanced responses to proteolipid protein self peptide were associated with resistance of Qa-1-deficient CD4 T cells to Qa-1-restricted CD8 T suppressor activity and increased susceptibility to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. These findings delineate a Qa-1-dependent T cell−T cell inhibitory interaction that prevents the pathogenic expansion of autoreactive CD4 T cell populations and consequent autoimmune disease.
MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS
These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.
