Insulin-specific T cell hybridomas derived from (H-2b × H-2k)F1 mice preferably employ F1unique restriction elements for antigen recognition

Abstract

T cell hybridomas of (B10 × B10.BR)F₁ genotype with reactivity to bovine insulin (BI) were established to analyze the restriction and antigen fine specificity of (H‐2^b × H‐2^k)F₁ T cells towards BI. Our data indicate a focusing of the response on two epitopes on the insulin molecule, the A chain loop determinant comprising amino acids A8 and A10, as well as the glutamic acid residue in position 4 of the A chain. Both were recognized either separately or in conjunction. Unexpectedly, the T cell hybridomas exhibited a marked preference for recognizing insulin in the context of F₁‐unique restriction elements of A A type rather than parental high‐responder I‐A^bmolecules. Analysis of the response of primed lymph node T cells of (B10 × B10.BR)F₁ mice towards BI corroborated the finding of a preponderant corecognition of F₁unique I‐A molecules.