A nondeletional mechanism of thymic self tolerance |
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| Authors: | F Ramsdell T Lantz B J Fowlkes |
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| Institution: | Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Bethesda, MD 20892. |
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| Abstract: | T cells become tolerant of self antigens during their development in the thymus. Clonal deletion of thymocytes bearing self-reactive T cell receptors is a major mechanism for generating tolerance and occurs readily for antigens expressed by bone marrow-derived cells. Tolerance to antigens expressed on the radioresistant thymic stromal elements is demonstrated here to occur via a nondeletional mechanism. For minor lymphocyte stimulatory (Mls-1a) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens, this alternate form of tolerance induction results in clonal anergy. |
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