Autoimmune gld mutation uncouples suicide and cytokine/proliferation pathways in activated, mature T cells

• Published in: European journal of immunology Vol. 23; no. 9; p. 2379
• Main Authors: Russell, J H, Wang, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01-09-1993
• Subjects: Animals; Antigen-Presenting Cells - physiology; Apoptosis; Autoimmune Diseases - genetics; Autoimmune Diseases - immunology; Female; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoproliferative Disorders - genetics; Lymphoproliferative Disorders - immunology; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mutation; T-Lymphocytes - physiology
• ISSN: 0014-2980
• DOI: 10.1002/eji.1830230951

Antigen receptor-directed suicide plays an important role in the elimination of potentially autoaggressive immature T cells during thymic differentiation. Here we demonstrated evidence for a second pathway of receptor-directed suicide in mature T cells that is missing in a mutant strain (gld) of mice with an "autoimmune" lymphoproliferative syndrome. The defect is evident within the gld activated T cell and does not require the presence of an antigen-presenting cell for its expression. Receptor-driven suicide is intact in immature T cells of animals with this mutation. These results support the significance of receptor-directed suicide in the mature T cell compartment and suggest that the immune system may use three independent pathways for regulating programmed cell death in shaping and controlling the immune response.