Specificity of rat T cell receptor V beta chain usage in proliferative responses to staphylococcal enterotoxin B

The staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) are potent stimulators of T cell proliferative responses in humans and in mice. In these systems, the toxins function as superantigens and stimulate T cells bearing particular V beta. Although homology between the V beta of mice and humans is limited, related V beta families may respond to certain SE in a similar fashion. In this report, we have characterized the rat T cell response to staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). Rat T cells from several lymphoid organs proliferated strongly in response to both commercially available and recombinant SEB. Using a polymerase chain reaction assay, we identified the predominant V beta families stimulated by this enterotoxin. The T cell receptor V beta elements used by rat T cells were similar to but not completely identical with those used by mice. The V beta profile stimulated depended on the purity of the SEB preparation used.