In a radiation chimaera, host H-2 antigens determine immune responsiveness of donor cytotoxic cells

Abstract

CELL membrane structures controlled by genes in the major histocompatibility complex (H-2 in mice) are involved in most immune interactions between T lymphocytes and other cells1. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) immunised against viruses2, haptens3, minor histocompatibility antigens4 or tumour antigens5, are specific for self H-2 antigens as well as for the foreign antigen. But CTL are not restricted to recognising antigens in combination with only self H-2. H-2d homozygous CTL which have matured in an irradiated H-2 d/H-2k host can respond to antigen plus H-2k in addition to antigen plus H-2d (refs 6-8). It is not known whether the H-2 environment in which T cells mature influences their range of specificity, that is, whether CTL from a normal mouse can respond quantitatively as well to antigen plus foreign H-2 as they do to antigen plus self H-2. These experiments were designed to test this influence. The results suggest that host H-2 antigens do exert an effect on the specificity of T-cell responses. © 1977 Nature Publishing Group.