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Mature T cells must discriminate between brief interactions with self-peptides and prolonged binding to agonists. The kinetic proofreading model posits that certain T-cell antigen receptor signaling nodes serve as molecular timers to facilitate such discrimination. However, the physiological significance of this regulatory mechanism and the pathological consequences of disrupting it are unknown. Here we report that accelerating the normally slow phosphorylation of the linker for activation of T cells (LAT) residue Y136 by introducing an adjacent Gly135Asp alteration (LATG135D) disrupts ligand discrimination in vivo. The enhanced self-reactivity of LATG135D T cells triggers excessive thymic negative selection and promotes T-cell anergy. During Listeria infection, LATG135D T cells expand more than wild-type counterparts in response to very weak stimuli but display an imbalance between effector and memory responses. Moreover, despite their enhanced engagement of central and peripheral tolerance mechanisms, mice bearing LATG135D show features associated with autoimmunity and immunopathology. Our data reveal the importance of kinetic proofreading in balancing tolerance and immunity.

TCR-signaling strength generally correlates with peptide-MHC binding affinity; however, exceptions exist. We find high-affinity, yet non-stimulatory, interactions occur with high frequency in the human T cell repertoire. Here, we studied human TCRs that are refractory to activation by pMHC ligands despite robust binding. Analysis of 3D affinity, 2D dwell time, and crystal structures of stimulatory versus non-stimulatory TCR-pMHC interactions failed to account for their different signaling outcomes. Using yeast pMHC display, we identified peptide agonists of a formerly non-responsive TCR. Single-molecule force measurements demonstrated the emergence of catch bonds in the activating TCR-pMHC interactions, correlating with exclusion of CD45 from the TCR-APC contact site. Molecular dynamics simulations of TCR-pMHC disengagement distinguished agonist from non-agonist ligands based on the acquisition of catch bonds within the TCR-pMHC interface. The isolation of catch bonds as a parameter mediating the coupling of TCR binding and signaling has important implications for TCR and antigen engineering for immunotherapy.

Of interest to the etiology of demyelinating autoimmune disease is the potential to aberrantly activate CD4+ T cells due to cross-recognition of multiple self-epitopes such as has been suggested for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein epitope 35-55 (MOG35-55) and neurofilament medium protein epitope 15-35 (NFM15-35). NFM15-35 is immunogenic in C57BL/6 mice but fails to induce demyelinating disease by polyclonal T cells despite having the same TCR contact residues as MOG35-55, a known encephalitogenic Ag. Despite reported cross-reactivity with MOG-specific T cells, the polyclonal response to NFM15-35 did not expand threshold numbers of MOG38-49 tetramer-positive T cells. Furthermore, NFM lacked functional synergy with MOG to promote experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis because NFM-deficient synonymous with knockout mice developed an identical disease course to wild-type mice after challenge with MOG35-55 Single-cell analysis of encephalitogenic T cells using the peptide:MHC monomer-based two-dimensional micropipette adhesion frequency assay confirmed that NFM was not a critical Ag driving demyelinating disease because NFM18-30-specific T cells in the CNS were predominantly reactive to MOG38-49 The absence of NFM contribution to disease allowed mapping of the amino acids required for encephalitogenicity and expansion of high-affinity, MOG-specific T cells that defined the polyclonal response. Alterations of N-terminal residues outside of the NFM15-35 core nonamer promoted expansion of high-affinity, MOG38-49 tetramer-positive T cells and promoted consistent experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induction, unlike mice challenged with NFM15-35 Although NFM15-35 is immunogenic and cross-reactive with MOG at the polyclonal level, it fails to expand a threshold level of encephalitogenic, high-affinity MOG-specific T cells.

Naive T cells experience tonic T cell receptor (TCR) signaling in response to self-antigens presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in secondary lymphoid organs. We investigated how relatively weak or strong tonic TCR signals influence naive CD8+ T cell responses to stimulation with foreign antigens. The heterogeneous expression of Nur77-GFP, a transgenic reporter of tonic TCR signaling, in naive CD8+ T cells suggests variable intensities or durations of tonic TCR signaling. Although the expression of genes associated with acutely stimulated T cells was increased in Nur77-GFPHI cells, these cells were hyporesponsive to agonist TCR stimulation compared with Nur77-GFPLO cells. This hyporesponsiveness manifested as diminished activation marker expression and decreased secretion of IFN-γ and IL-2. The protein abundance of the ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b, a negative regulator of TCR signaling, was greater in Nur77-GFPHI cells than in Nur77-GFPLO cells, and Cbl-b deficiency partially restored the responsiveness of Nur77-GFPHI cells. Our data suggest that the cumulative effects of previously experienced tonic TCR signaling recalibrate naive CD8+ T cell responsiveness. These changes include gene expression changes and negative regulation partially dependent on Cbl-b. This cell-intrinsic negative feedback loop may enable the immune system to restrain naive CD8+ T cells with higher self-reactivity. Editor's summary: Naive T cells in the periphery constitutively experience varying amounts of tonic T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. Eggert et al. determined how this baseline TCR signaling affects the responsiveness of naive CD8+ T cells to antigens. High amounts of tonic TCR signaling resulted in hyporesponsiveness to agonist TCR stimulation, which was associated with increased abundance of the ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b, an inhibitor of TCR signaling. Deficiency in Cbl-b partially restored responsiveness. These results uncover a negative feedback loop that restrains the responsiveness of naive T cells in the face of strong tonic TCR signaling. —Wei Wong [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune sensing of a microbe occurs via multiple receptors. How signals from different receptors are coordinated to yield a specific immune response is poorly understood. We show that two pathogen recognition receptors, Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and dectin-1, recognizing the same microbial stimulus, stimulate distinct innate and adaptive responses. TLR2 signaling induced splenic dendritic cells (DCs) to express the retinoic acid metabolizing enzyme retinaldehyde dehydrogenase type 2 and interleukin-10 (IL-10) and to metabolize vitamin A and stimulate [Foxp3.sup.+] T regulatory cells ([T.sub.reg] cells). Retinoic acid acted on DCs to induce suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 expression, which suppressed activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and proinflammatory cytokines. Consistent with this finding, TLR2 signaling induced [T.sub.reg] cells and suppressed IL-23 and T helper type 17 ([T.sub.H]17) and [T.sub.H]1-mediated autoimmune responses in vivo. In contrast, dectin-1 signaling mostly induced IL-23 and proinflammatory cytokines and augmented [T.sub.H]17 and [T.sub.H]1-mediated autoimmune responses in vivo. These data define a new mechanism for the systemic induction of retinoic acid and immune suppression against autoimmunity., It is now well established that a delicate balance between inflammatory versus regulatory responses underlies disease progression in many autoimmune disorders. DCs have emerged as central players in initiating and [...]