Expression of identical V alpha V beta gene pairs by IE-alloreactive and IE-restricted, antigen-specific T cells from MHC disparate mice. Evidence for thymic selection of V(D)J combinations.

Alloreactive T cell hybridomas specific for IEk and/or IEb MHC Ag were obtained from IE-nonexpressor (IE alpha b) mice. The TCR V alpha and V beta gene segments used were identified by Northern blot and RNase protection. A large proportion (24 of 80 hybridomas tested) employed the same V alpha genes (V alpha 11.1 or V alpha 11.2) as are utilized in the IEk and IEb restricted response to the Ag cytochrome c. Of these 24 alloreactive hybridomas, 10 also expressed V beta genes utilized in the IE plus cytochrome c repertoire. Structural similarity between the two related sets of TCR indicates that V alpha segments can play a determining role in MHC specificity. These data also suggest that thymic selection based on TCR reactivity with self-MHC products acts on particular V(D)J combinations rather than on V alpha V beta pairings alone.