T cell tolerance overview Flashcards
What is immunological tolerance?
specific unresponsiveness to an antigen that is induced by exposure of lymphocytes to that antigen
What is central tolerance?
tolerance induced through immature cells in primary lymphoid organs
What is peripheral tolerance?
tolerance induced through mature cells in secondary lymphoid tissue
What is central T cell tolerance?
deletion of T cells that strongly recognise self-antigen in the thymus or do not interact with MHC
What are thymocytes?
developing T cells
What are the 3 tolerance checkpoints in the thymus?
b-selection; positive selection; negative selection
What is the result of the independent development of the TCR repertroire?
some TCRs are self-MHC/p reactive and some are unable to bind to MHC/p
What is the function of b-repetoire selection?
is the new beta chain function
When does b-selection occur?
to pro-T cells wjho then go on to become pre-T cells
What happens if the new b-chain is function?
cell survival and division; TCRa gene rearrangement; differentation to double positive cell
How do the haematopoietic cells enter the thymus?
cortico-medullary junction
Where does positve selection take place?
cortex
What is the function of positive selection?
selection of thymocytes bearing receptors able to bind self-MHC molecules
What cells are involved in positive selection?
cortical thymic epithelial cells
What happens to cells that do not bind self-MHC?
death by neglect
What happens to cells without a function b chain?
death by apoptosis
What is hte function of negative selection?
eliminates thymocytes bearing high-affinity receptors for self-MHC molecules alone or self-antigen
Which cells are involved in negative selection?
medullary thymic epithelial cells and DCs
What do medullary thymic cells involved in negative selection express?
AIRE- autoimmune regulatory
What percentage of thymocytes survive selection?
5%
What is the name for double positive cells?
immature thymocyte
What happens after positive selection?
single positive T cell
What is the mutation in autoimmune polyglandular sydrome 1?
in AIRE gene
what is the result of a mutation in AIRE gene in APS-1?
defective negative selection in thymuc leading to the release of autoreactive T cells
Which organs does APS-1 affect?
endocrine glands
What other name is APS-1 given?
APECED- autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidasis ectodermal dystrophy
What is anergy?
state of long-lasting partial/total unresponsiveness induced by partial activation
What are the 2 modes of inducing anergy?
antigen recognition and 1-absence of costimulation or 2-ligation of co-inhibitors
When is CTLA-4 expressed on T cells?
after activation
What is hte difference in affinity for CD80 and CD86 between CTLA4 and CD28?
CTLA4 has a much higher affinity for B7 molcules than CD28
Why is CTLA4 expression transient?
rapidly internalised
What is the function of CTLA4?
tolerance induction; limiting the immune repsonse
What are the 3 methods of peripheral tolerance?
anergy; deletion and Treg suppression
When does deletion of T cells take place?
chronic/persistent stimulation with self-antigen ; high/excessive dose of self-antigen
What are the mechanisms for deletion?
active- Fas/FasL or PD-1/PD-L1 interaction or passive- IL-2 deprivation
How was the function of Tregs discovered?
normal mouse with thymectomy 3-5 days after birth develops polyautoimmune disease which can be prevented by giving CD4+ CD25+ cells
What is CD25?
IL-2 receptor alpha chain
What are Tregs positive for?
CD4+ CD25hi; CD127lo; CTLA4 and FOXP3
What are the mechanisms of regulation by Tregs?
contact-dependent: inactivation of DCs or activated T cells; contact-independent: secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines; consumption of IL2
What immunosuppressive cytokines do Tregs secrete?
TGF-b; IL-10; IL-35
What is the difference between flow cytometry histogram and dot plot?
histogram looks at a single parameter whereas dot plot looks at 2
How are natural Tregs created?
in the thymus when recognise self-antigen
How are inducible Tregs created?
recognition of repeated self antigen in peripheral tissues
Where do natural Tregs live?
in peripheral tissues to prevent harmful reactions against self
How are Tregs induced in vitro?
stimulation of CD4 cells in presence of TGF-b and IL-2
What have mice models shown about the use of Tregs in disease?
mice with EAE improve after infusion with Tregs; the onset of DM in NOD mice is delayed by Treg infusion
How have Tregs been found to be related to human disease?
SLE and immune thrombocytopenia patietns have fewer Tregs ; IPEX have dysfunction of Tregs
What is the mutation in IPEX?
in FOXP3- transceiption factor for Tregs
What does IPEX stand for?
immune dysregulation; polyendocrinopathy; enteropathy and X-linked syndrome
What is antigen segregation?
physical barrier to self-antigen and happens at immunologically priviledged sites so cells have never been toleraised against hte auto-antigen
Why is PD1/PD-L1 signalling a fine balance?
if too low results in autoimmunity but if too high allows tumour growth
What is the name for cancer therapeutics utilising PD-1 signalling?
immune checkpoint inhibitors
What is foudn in the thymic stroma?
in young individuals this is a large network of epihtelia containing large numbers of dveloping T-cell precursors
What signalling initiates TCR rearrangement?
Notch signalling
What does the thymus differentiate from embryologically?
third pharyngeal pouch
What type of cells are found in the thymic cortex?
immature thymocytes and scattered macrophages
what cell types are found in the thymic medulla?
mature thymocytes; DCs; macropahges and some B cells
What mutations in humans and mice results in thymic hypoplasia?
DiGeorge- 22q11 deletions; mouse- nude mutation
What cells give the progentiro cells Notch1 signals?
thymic epithleial cells
What is the function of Notch signalling?
instructs the progenitor to commit to the T cell lineage rather than B cell, and initate T cell specific gene expression programming
Which transcription factors does Notch singalling induce the expression of?
T-cell factor-1 (TCF1) and GATA3
Give examples of genes that TCF1 and GATA3 induce?
those encoding components of CD3 complex and Rag1 (gene rearangements)
What is the third transcription needed to induce the entire program of T cell gene expression?
Bcl11b
What are apoptotic bodies?
residual condensed chromatin of apoptotic cells