An islet-specific CD8+ T cell hybridoma generated from non-obese diabetic mice recognizes insulin as an autoantigen.

Although CD8+ T cells play a major role in beta cell destruction in insulin-dependent diabetes in the non-obese diabetic mouse, the T cell autoantigen(s) recognized by such cells remains to be identified. Therefore, an islet-reactive, CD8+ T cell line was generated from islet-infiltrating cells and hybridized by fusion with a CD8+ alphabeta TCR- BW5147 thymoma. In the presence of islets, none of the 12 CD3+ CD8+ T cell hybridomas isolated secreted IL-2/IL-4 or IFNgamma but three were islet specific, as shown by activation induced cell death. Subclone 4A7.7.15 recognized only islets expressing H-2Kd, demonstrated islet-specific inhibition of proliferation and concomitant partial arrest in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Further analysis using a panel of cell lines, expressing H-2Kd, and transfected with the cDNA for various putative autoantigens in type 1 diabetes showed that 4A7.7.15 recognizes insulin as an antigen.