H-2 restriction of virus-specific cytotoxicity across the H-2 barrier. Separate effector T-cell specificities are associated with self-H-2 and with the tolerated allogeneic H-2 in chimeras.

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Abstract
During infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis or vaccinia virus, F1 irradiation chimeras [mice] reconstituted with bone marrow cells from 1 or both parents generate cytotoxic T [thymus-derived] cells which can lyse infected targets across the H-2 barrier. The activity of chimera T cells is H-2 restricted as shown by cold target competition experiments and selective restimulation of a secondary response in vitro; T cells of H-2k specificity which lyse tolerated infected H-2d target cells do not lyse infected H-2k or unrelated target cells and vice versa. Thus, H-2 restriction of virus-specific cytotoxic T cells probably does not reflect need for like-like self-interactions for lysis to occur. The specificity of virus immune T cells is thus determined by the H-2K and H-2D specificities present in the infected animal and which are probably recognized unidirectionally by T cells. T cells may be specific for altered self or altered alloantigen, i.e., a complex of cell surface marker and viral antigen. Alternatively, explained with a dual recognition model, T cells may possess 2 independently, clonally expressed receptors: a self-recognizer which is expressed for 1 of the syngeneic or tolerated allogeneic K or D self markers, and an immunologically specific receptor for viral antigen.