Evidence for a role for T cell receptors (TCR) in the effector phase of acute bone marrow graft rejection. TCR V beta 5 transgenic mice lack effector cells able to cause graft rejection.

Lethally irradiated mice reject within 24 h certain marrow grafts, a phenomenon called either allogeneic or hybrid resistance. The cells responsible for this rejection (NK1+ CD3+ cells (TNK) express Ag of NK cells as well as the TCR-associated CD3 complex. This raises the question whether TCR participate in the function of these cells during graft rejection. By using flow cytometry it is shown that the majority of TNK cells expresses the TCR-alpha/beta chains and by using adoptive cell transfer assays evidence is presented that it is the TCR-alpha/beta expressing cells that cause rejection. To explore whether any particular TCR chains have to be expressed on these cells, C57L mice were assayed and found to be responders suggesting that the V beta chains deleted in these mice are not obligatory. However, introduction of a specific TCR V beta 5 chain into C57BL/6 mice as a transgene leads to inability to transfer resistance. TNK cells of V beta 5 transgenic mice express the introduced gene suggesting that it is the transgenic TCR that is responsible for the lack of function. In assessing T cell functions in V beta 5 transgenic mice it is shown that although these mice generate CTL specific for H-2d targets there is a deficiency to recognize H-2Dd, i.e., of determinants presumed to be recognized in the acute rejection mechanism. Thus TNK cells and CTL share the inability to recognize H-2Dd epitopes due to expression of the V beta 5 transgene. The notion that TCR on TNK cells play a role in the acute rejection process makes it necessary to postulate a receptor selection mechanism for these cells.