Exclusive involvement of H-2D(b) or H-2K(d) product in the interaction between T-killer lymphocytes and syngeneic H-2(b) or H-2(d) viral lymphomas

Abstract

It was demonstrated previously that the cytolysis of murine viral lymphoma cells by anti-murine sarcoma virus (MSV) syngeneic T[thymus-derived]-killer lymphocytes was restricted by some products of the H-2 complex. The respective role of the products of different regions of the H-2 complex were studied with 6 H-2b and 3 H-2d lymphomas induced by 5 different type C viruses. They were tested in a classical Cr release test against anti-MSV T-killer cells obtained from different inbred strains of mice, including several H-2 recombinants. Tumors of the H-2b haplotype were lysed only when effectors and target cells have in common the Db region. An identity limited to the K end of the H-2 complex is necessary and sufficient in the H-2d haplotype. An in vitro restimulation of the spleen cells with concanavalin A strongly increased the activity of in vivo-primed T lymphocytes but did not provide any response for in vivo-primed but nonresponder cells. Preincubation of the tumor cells with anti-H-2 sera abolished the lysis by syngeneic anti-MSV effector lymphocytes. The same results were obtained by preincubating the H-2b targets with anti-H-2Db, or the H-2d target with anti-H-2Kd. Preincubation with anti-H-2Kb or anti-H-2Dd were ineffective. Apparently, the T-killer/target cells interaction in the MSV system involved some products of the H-2 complex which might be different with the various H-2 haplotypes and could possibly vary according to the antigenic specificity. A specific association of a viral product with a normal cellular structure, directed by the H-2 region during the viral budding could explain the observed results.