| First Author | González-Quintial R | Year | 1992 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 149 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 230-6 |
| PubMed ID | 1318899 | Mgi Jnum | J:1200 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:49732 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.149.1.230 |
| Citation | Gonzalez-Quintial R, et al. (1992) V beta gene repertoires in aging mice. J Immunol 149(1):230-6 |
| abstractText | To determine whether aging and thymic involution are associated with defects in intrathymic T cell selection or clonal instabilities, we compared transcript levels for 18 V beta genes in thymic and splenic T cells of young (2 month), adult (12 month), and old (20 month) mice of various Mls and MHC haplotypes (C57BL/6, BALB/c, and DBA/2). The results showed that the unselected thymic V beta repertoires remain stable throughout life, despite severe reduction in cellularity in the thymus of aged mice. Similarly, splenic CD4 and CD8 V beta repertoires showed no significant alterations, and no leakage to the periphery of endogenous superantigen-reactive V beta clones was observed with age, even in irradiated and bone marrow-reconstituted old mice. Responses in vitro to bacterial superantigens were undiminished with age but, significantly, some of these superantigens expanded V beta clones that are cross-reactive with endogenous superantigens and are normally partially (V beta 11 and -12) or severely (V beta 3.1) deleted in BALB/c mice. In the course of these studies, several previously unrecognized reactivities of V beta with staphylococcal toxins were also revealed. |
