NR AOCF
AU Stoltze,L.; Rezaei,H.; Jung,G.; Grosclaude,J.; Debey,P.; Schild,H.; Rammensee,H.G.
TI CD4+ T cell-mediated immunity against prion proteins
QU Cellular and Molecular Life Science 2003 Mar; 60(3): 629-38
PT journal article
AB The prion protein (PrPc) is essential for susceptibility to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. A specific conformer of this protein (PrPsc) is, according to the 'protein only' hypothesis, the principal or only component of the infectious agent, designated prion. Transmission of prions between species is often inefficient, resulting in low attack rates and/or prolonged incubation times and is ascribed to a 'species barrier' caused by differences in the amino acid sequence of PrP between recipient and donor. In this report, we demonstrate that these differences in amino acid sequence result in presentation of distinct peptides on major histocompatibility complex class II molecules. These peptides result in activation of specific CD4+ T cells which leads to the induction of an effective immune response against foreign PrP as demonstrated by antibody production. Therefore, CD4+ T cells represent a crucial component of the immune system to distinguish between foreign and self PrP.
MH Amino Acid Sequence; Animal; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/*immunology; Epitopes; Flow Cytometry; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II/immunology; Interferon Type II/metabolism; Interleukin-2/metabolism; Mice; Molecular Sequence Data; Prions/genetics/*immunology; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
AD
L. Stoltze, H. Schild, H.-G. Rammensee - Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 15, 72076 Tübingen, Germany. l.stoltze@prion.ucl.ac.uk;
P Debey - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Unité 806/EA2703, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 75005 Paris (France);
H. Rezaei, J. Grosclaude - INRA, Unité de Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, 78352 Jouy-en-Josas (France) - rezaei@jouy.inra.fr,
G. Jung, - Institute for Organic Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 18, 72076 Tübingen (Germany)
SP englisch
PO Schweiz