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.

Immunization with a synthetic T-cell receptor V-region peptide protects against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Abstract

T CELLS expressing the αβ T-cell receptor (TCR) for antigen can elicit anti-idiotypic antibodies specific for the TCR that regulate T-cell function1–4. Defined sequences of the TCR, however, have not been used to elicit specific antibodies and the role of cellular immunity directed against TCR determinants has not been studied. We immunized Lewis rats with a synthetic peptide representing a hypervariable region of the TCR β8 molecule. Subsequent induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a paralytic disease of the central nervous system mediated primarily by Vβ8+ T cells specific for myelin basic protein5,6 was prevented. T cells specific for the TCR Vβ8 peptide conferred passive protection against the disease to naive rats, apparently by shifting the predominant T-cell response away from the major encephalitogenic epitope of basic protein. This is the first report demonstrating the use of a synthetic TCR V-region peptide to induce specific regulatory immunity and has important implications for the regulation of human disease characterized by common TCR V-gene usage.

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

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

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

References

  1. Gascoigne, N. R. J. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 2936–2940 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kappler, J. W., Staerz, U., White, J. & Marrack, P. C. Nature 332, 35–40 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kappler, J. W. et al. Cell 49, 263–271 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. MacDonald, H. R. et al. Nature 332, 40–45 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Chou, Y. K., Vandenbark, A. A., Jones, R. E., Hashim, G. A. & Offner, H. J. Neurosci. Res. 22, 181–187 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Burns, F. R. et al. J. exp. Med. 169, 27–39 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Margalit, H., et al. J. Immun. 138, 2213–2219 (1987).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Rothbard, J. B. & Taylor, W. R. EMBO J. 7, 93–100 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Williams, C. B. & Gutman, G. A. J. Immun. 142, 1027–1035 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Offner, H. et al. J. Immun. 141, 3828–3832 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Offner, H., et al. J. exp. Med. 170, 355–367 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Davis, M. M. & Bjorkman, P. J. Nature 334, 395–402 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Claverie, J. M., Prochnica-Chalufour, A., & Bougueleret, L. Immun. Today 10, 10–14 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Long, E. Immun. Today 10, 232–234 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Lider, O., Reshef, T., Beraud, E., Ben-Nun, A. & Cohen, I. R. Science 239, 181–183 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Offner, H., Jones, R., Celnik, B. & Vandenbark, A. A. J. Neuroimmun. 21, 13–22 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Beraud, E., Lider, 0., Baharav, E., Reshef, T. & Cohen, I. R. J. Autoimmunity 2, 75–86 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Lider, O., Karin N., Shintzky, M. & Cohen, I. R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 4577–4580 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Maron, R., Zerubavel, R., Friedman, A. & Cohen, I. R. J. Immun. 131, 2316–2320 (1983).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Sun, D., Qin, Y., Chluba, J., Epplen, J. T. & Wekerle, H. Nature 332, 843–845 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Acha-Orbea, H. et al. Cell 54, 263–273 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Urban, J. et al. Cell 54, 577–592 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vandenbark, A., Hashim, G. & Offner, H. Immunization with a synthetic T-cell receptor V-region peptide protects against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Nature 341, 541–544 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/341541a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/341541a0

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