Preferential usage of Vα4 and Vβ10 T cell receptor genes by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus glycoprotein‐specific H‐2Db‐restricted cytotoxic T cells

Abstract

Correlations between the T cell receptor (TcR) V gene usage and the specificity of T cells have been primarily described for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II‐restricted helper T cell responses. In the present study the TcR genes expressed by MHC class I‐restricted murine cytotoxic T cells (CTL) specific for a major epitope of the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), LCMV‐GP2_275–289, were investigated. The TcR primary structure of an LCMV‐GP2_275–289 specific H‐2D^b‐restricted CTL clone has been determined. It uses a member of the V_α4 family joined to J_αAN14.4 for the α chain and V_β10 rearranged to D_β2.1 and J_β2.4 for its β chain. Four other independent LCMV‐GP2_275–289 specific H‐2D^b‐restricted CTL clones also expressed V_α4 and V_β10 gene elements. Furthermore, V_α4 and V_β10 were preferentially expressed by polyclonal CTL of C57BL/6 origin specific for LCMV. These results suggest that both TcR V_α and V_β regions are important for the recognition of the LCMV‐GP2_275‐289 epitope on H‐2D^b molecules.