Transferable anergy: Superantigen treatment induces CD4(+) T cell tolerance that is reversible and requires CD4(-)CD8(-) cells and interferon gamma

Bacterial superantigens induce peripheral unresponsiveness in CD4(+) T cell populations that express appropriate V beta chains. We have used V beta 3/V alpha 11 T cell receptor transgenic (Tg) mice and the V beta 3-specific superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) to further investigate the mechanisms that contribute to such unresponsiveness. As in other models, in vivo exposure to SEA rendered the Tg CD4(+) cells unresponsive to subsequent restimulation in vitro with antigen or mitogens. However, when the SEA-treated CD4(+) cells were completely purified away from all other contaminating cells, they regained the ability to proliferate and secrete cytokines. Moreover, enriched CD4(-)CD8(-) cells from the SEA-treated mice suppressed the responses of fresh control CD4(+) cells in mixed cultures indicating that the apparent ''anergy'' was both transferable and reversible. Further analysis demonstrated that interferon gamma, but not the Fas receptor, played a critical role in the suppression.