The importance of the serologically detectable histocompatibility antigens in the induction and effector step of cell‐mediated lysis

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Abstract
The induction and effector steps of T cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) have been studied using a mouse tumor cell line and its variant, which is deficient in serologically defined (SD) H-2 antigens. In allogeneic mice the SD+ cell line induces CMC, while the SD− cell line does not. However, both cell lines can be lysed by xenogeneic rat lymphocytes. Antiserum specific for rat T cells was used to demonstrate that CMC of both targets is partially due to T cells. In allogeneic or syngeneic mouse systems the SD− cells coupled with the 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl (TNP) residue can neither induce CMC nor serve as targets for CMC, while TNP-coupled SD+ cells can serve both as immunogen and as targets. Thus allogeneic or syngeneic mouse T cells do not interact with the TNP group on targets lacking H-2 SD antigens. However, mouse T killer cells sensitized to TNP-coupled cells may lyse TNP-coupled targets carrying different H-2 haplotypes. These experiments show that the induction and effector steps of CMC executed by mouse T cells, using TNP-coupled cells as immunogen or targets, need not necessarily demonstrate restriction with regard to a certain genetically defined H-2 haplotype. The presence of cell surface H-2 SD antigens is, however, absolutely necessary for the induction and effector steps of CMC by mouse T cells. Using cold target inhibition assays, it was not possible to demonstrate recognition of the TNP moiety on TNP-coupled SD+ cells.