Abstract We have studied T cell tolerance to defined determinants within ML-M using wild-type (WT; ML-M+/+) and LysMcre (ML-M−/−) C3H (H-2k) mice to determine the relative contribution of ML-M-derived epitopes vs those from other self Ags in selection of the ML-M-specific T cell repertoire. ML-M was totally nonimmunogenic in WT mice, but was rendered immunogenic in LysMcre mice. Most of the response to ML-M in LysMcre mice was directed to the immunodominant determinant region 105–119. This determinant is spontaneously displayed (without adding exogenous ML-M) by macrophages of WT, but not LysMcre, mice and is stimulatory for peptide 105–119 (p105–119)-primed T cells. Moreover, neonatal tolerization of LysMcre mice with p105–119 or ML-M abrogated the T cell response to subsequent challenge with ML-M or p105–119. Furthermore, p95–109 and p110–125 of ML-M were immunogenic in LysMcre mice, but not in WT mice, thereby representing subdominant, tolerance-inducing epitopes of ML-M. As expected, the T cell repertoire to cryptic ML determinants in WT mice was also intact in LysMcre mice. Furthermore, the pattern of response to the related homologue of ML-M, hen eggwhite lysozyme, was similar in these two groups of mice. Thus, several codominant T cell determinants within ML-M contribute significantly to tolerance induction, and the anti-cryptic T cell repertoire to ML-M was positively selected on non-ML-M self ligands. These results reveal that the induction of self tolerance to a multideterminant protein follows the quantitative hierarchy of self-determinant expression and are of relevance in understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmunity.