ANALYSIS OF T-CELL RECEPTOR V-BETA-GENE USAGE IN PRIMARY MIXED LYMPHOCYTE REACTIONS - EVIDENCE FOR DIRECTIVE USAGE BY DIFFERENT ANTIGEN-PRESENTING CELLS AND MLS-LIKE DETERMINANTS ON T-CELL BLASTS

The usage of four different T cell receptor (TcR) Vβ gene families within normal, non‐primed T cell populations in response to various types of antigen‐presenting cells (APC) in primary mixed lymphocyte reaction has been studied. We demonstrate that distinct patterns of Vβ gene usage are obtained within a given T cell population in response to different types of APC with the same allo‐H2. When responder T cells are stimulated with one type of allogeneic APC, from various H2‐disparate mice, the same Vβ gene preference is observed. Furthermore, when H2‐ and Mls‐mismatched APC gene used as stimulators, the Mls‐associated Vβ6 and Vβ8.1 gene families are highly elevated in response to both B and T cell blasts from certain Mls‐positive strains. The results demonstrate that different types of allogeneic APC have the capacity to generate biases in TcR Vβ gene usage and imply that functional Mls‐like determinants are presented by T cell blasts. The findings are discussed with respect to TcR‐major histocompatibility complex interactions in allostimulation. Copyright © 1990 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim