The T Cell Receptor Repertoire in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Erica Moore, Michelle W. Huang, Shweta Jain, Samantha A. Chalmers, Fernando Macian, Chaim Putterman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), widespread T cell infiltration into target organs contributes to inflammation and organ damage. Autoreactive T cells become aberrantly activated in this disease due to dysfunctional T cell receptor signaling that lowers the activation threshold. Characterizing the T cell repertoire can provide further insight into the specific homing and proliferation of these T cells into lupus target organs. In the spontaneous lupus model, MRL/lpr, the TCR repertoire has not been fully elucidated, especially for T cells infiltrating the brain. Our aim was to investigate and compare the TCR repertoire between MRL/lpr mice and its congenic controls, MRL/MpJ, and within MRL/lpr tissues. Methods: Spleen, salivary gland, and brain choroid plexus were isolated from female MRL/lpr mice and MRL/MpJ mice. The TCRβ CDR3 region was analyzed by multiplex PCRs and sequencing. Results: Significant differences were seen not only between the MRL/lpr and MRL/MpJ spleens, but also between MRL/lpr tissues. The TCR repertoire in MRL/lpr choroid plexus tissues had significantly increased clonality and sequence homology compared to MRL/lpr spleen and salivary gland. The consensus sequence, CASSQDWGGYEQYFF, was identified in the MRL/lpr choroid plexus repertoire. Conclusions: The TCR repertoire in lupus prone mice is not uniform between target organs, and suggests that T cells are specifically recruited into the choroid plexus of MRL/lpr mice. Further studies are needed to determine the antigen specificities for these infiltrating T cells in target organs of lupus mice, and their possible contribution to the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disease and other lupus manifestations.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1476
JournalFrontiers in Immunology
Volume11
DOIs
StatePublished - 17 Jul 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2020 Moore, Huang, Jain, Chalmers, Macian and Putterman.

Funding

Funding. EM was supported by the Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Program and the Medical Scientist Training Program T32-GM007288. MH was supported by the Training Program in Cellular & Molecular Biology & Genetics T32-GM007491 from the National Institutes of Health, and CP by an R01 grant, AR065594, from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases.

FundersFunder number
Medical Scientist Training ProgramT32-GM007491, T32-GM007288
National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin DiseasesR01AR065594

    Keywords

    • MRL/lpr
    • T cell receptor
    • choroid plexus
    • neuropsychiatric lupus
    • salivary gland
    • systemic lupus erythematosus

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