Contribution of TCR Signaling Strength to CD8+ T Cell Peripheral Tolerance Mechanisms

Peripheral tolerance mechanisms are in place to prevent T cells from mediating aberrant immune responses directed against self and environmental Ags. Mechanisms involved in the induction of peripheral tolerance include T cell–intrinsic pathways, such as anergy or deletion, or exogenous tolerance mediated by regulatory T cells. We have previously shown that the density of peptide-MHC class I recognized by the TCR determines whether CD8+ T cells undergo anergy or deletion. Specifically, using a TCR-transgenic CD8+ T cell model, we demonstrated that persistent peripheral exposure to low- or high-dose peptides in the absence of inflammatory signals resulted in clonal deletion or anergy of the T cell, respectively. In this study, by altering the affinity of the peptide-MHC tolerogen for TCR, we have confirmed that this mechanism is dependent on the level of TCR signaling that the CD8+ T cell receives. Using altered peptide ligands (APLs) displaying high TCR affinities, we show that increasing the TCR signaling favors anergy induction. Conversely, using APLs displaying a decreased TCR affinity tilted our system in the direction of deletional tolerance. We demonstrate how differential peripheral CD8+ T cell tolerance mechanisms are controlled by both the potency and density of MHC class I–peptide tolerogen.