title: Induction of primary anti-viral cytotoxic T cells by in vitro stimulation with short synthetic peptide and interleukin-7.
abstract: The present study investigated whether a short synthetic peptide NPP, with a modified sequence (147-158 R156-) derived from influenza A virus nucleoprotein with high affinity for Kd major histocompatibility complex class I molecules, could induce primary influenza virus-specific cytotoxic T (Tc) cells in vitro. Naive BALB/c (H-2d) splenocytes did not respond to the stimulation with only NPP with the generation of effector Tc cells specific for influenza A virus-infected target cells in vitro. However, they were able to do so if cultured with NPP in the presence of IL-7. IL-7 activity in this system differed significantly from IL-2 activity in the specificity of the effect. The use of exogenous IL-2, instead of IL-7, with NPP resulted in the induction of lytic cells that lysed both influenza virus-infected and uninfected syngeneic target cells. These results suggest that IL-7 is a potent regulatory cytokine in the antigen-specific activation of resting naive Tc cell precursors and may provide the necessary conditions for the induction of human primary Tc cells in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cell Biology, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Müllbacher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D015851:Interleukin-7; C048842:NP protein, Influenza A virus; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins