Differential reactivity of residual CD8+ T lymphocytes in TAP1 and beta 2-microglobulin mutant mice.

TAP1 -/- and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) -/- mice (H-2b background) express very low levels of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules on the cell surface. Consequently these mice have low numbers of mature CD8+ T lymphocytes. However, TAP1 -/- mice have significantly higher numbers of CD8+ T cells than beta 2m -/- mice. Alloreactive CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses were also stronger in TAP1 -/- mice than in beta 2m -/- mice. Alloreactive CTL generated in TAP1 -/- and beta 2m -/- mice cross-react with H-2b-expressing cells. Surprisingly, such cross-reactivity was stronger with alloreactive CTL from beta 2m -/- mice than with similar cells from TAP1 -/- mice. The beta 2m -/- mice also responded more strongly when primed with and tested against cells expressing normal levels of H-2b MHC class I molecules. Such H-2b-reactive CD8+ CTL from beta 2m -/- mice but not from TAP1 -/- mice also reacted with TAP1 -/- and TAP2-deficient RMA-S cells. In contrast, H-2b-reactive CD8+ CTL from neither beta 2m -/- mice nor TAP1 -/- mice killed beta 2m -/- cells. In line with these results, beta 2m -/- mice also responded when primed and tested against TAP1 -/- cells. We conclude that the reactivity of residual CD8+ T cells differs between TAP1 -/- and beta 2m -/- mice. The MHC class I-deficient phenotype of TAP1 -/- and beta 2m -/- mice is not equivalent: class I expression differs between the two mouse lines with regard to quality as well as quantity. We propose that the differences observed in numbers of CD8+ T cells, their ability to react with alloantigens and their cross-reactivity with normal H-2b class I are caused by differences in the expression of MHC class I ligands on selecting cells in the thymus.