Increased p300 expression inhibits glucocorticoid receptor-T-cell receptor antagonism but does not affect thymocyte positive selection

Positive selection of T cells is postulated to be dependent on the counterinteraction between glucocorticoid receptor (GR)- and T-cell-receptor (TCR)-induced death signals. In this study we used T-cell-specific expression of p300 to investigate whether GR-TCR cross talk between thymocytes was affected. Activation of the p300-transgenic T cells led to enhanced thymocyte proliferation and increased interleukin 2 production. Thymocyte death, induced by TCR engagement, was no longer prevented by dexamethasone in p300-transgenic mice, indicating an absence of GR-TCR cross-inhibition. This was accompanied by a 50% reduction in the number of thymocytes in p300-transgenic mice. However, the CD4/CD8 profile of thymocytes remained unchanged in p300-transgenic mice. There was no effect on positive selection of the bulk thymocytes or thymocytes with transgenic TCR in p300-transgenic mice. In addition, there was no apparent TCR repertoire "hole" in the selected antigens examined. Our results illustrate a critical role of CBP/p300 in thymic GR-TCR counterinteraction yet do not support the involvement of GR-TCR antagonism in thymocyte positive selection.