Evidence for a viral superantigen in humans.
Article Details
- CitationCopy to clipboard
Lafon M, Lafage M, Martinez-Arends A, Ramirez R, Vuillier F, Charron D, Lotteau V, Scott-Algara D
Evidence for a viral superantigen in humans.
Nature. 1992 Aug 6;358(6386):507-10. doi: 10.1038/358507a0.
- PubMed ID
- 1386410 [ View in PubMed]
- Abstract
Superantigens bind class II major histocompatibility proteins and stimulate powerful proliferative responses of T lymphocytes bearing particular V beta sequences as part of their alpha beta antigen receptor. Exogenous bacterial superantigens are responsible for food poisoning and toxic shock syndrome. Murine virus-encoded self-superantigens induce clonal deletion of T lymphocytes. Although superantigen-like properties have been suggested for human immunodeficiency virus-1, no viral superantigen has been identified in humans. Here we report that the nucleocapsid of the rabies virus is an exogenous superantigen specific for V beta 8 human T lymphocytes which binds to HLA class II alpha-chains.