Naturally occurring cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors with specificity for an Ig idiotype.
The humoral response to the p-azobenzenearsonate hapten in the A/J mouse includes the major cross-reactive idiotype associated with anti-p-azobenzenearsonate (CRIA) found in all immunized mice. Limiting dilution cultures of non-immunized spleen cells of A/J mice with irradiated B hybridoma cells bearing the Ig idiotype, CRIA, in the presence of T cell growth factors developed cytotoxic activity against the CRIA-bearing hybridoma; in some wells this activity was completely abrogated by an anti-idiotype mAb specific for CRIA or by a univalent hapten antigen, tyrosine-p-azobenzenearsonate, indicating the existence of cytotoxic T cell precursors (CTL-P) specific for one or more idiotopes of CRIA in normal spleen cells. The CTL clones lysed targets in a H-2D-restricted manner and were cytotoxic for CRIA-bearing hybridoma lines, but not for CRIA-non-bearing, IgG1k-bearing hybridoma lines. These CTL-P were detected at a high frequency (1/4,500 to 1/10,000) in a spleen cell population of non-immunized, relatively aged A/J mice (16 to 30 wk of age), and at a lower frequency in spleen cells of younger A/J mice (8 wk of age). However, they were not detected in normal spleen cells of B10.A (CRIA-non-producer) mice at any age (less than 1/6 x 10(5)). Normal Ighd-congenic C.AL-20 mice (16 wk of age), that are CRIA producers had as a high frequency of the CTL-P as did A/J mice, whereas normal Ighb-congenic C.B-20 mice (CRIA-non-producers) had none. In the spleen cells of the CRIA-producers, cytotoxicity of the CTL-P developed only in cultures with small numbers of seeding cells. They were completely absent in cultures with greater numbers of cells; this may be due to the presence of suppressor cells of lower frequency but greater potency. In lymph node cells or PBL of relatively aged A/J mice, the CTL-P were also detected, but only in cultures containing higher cell numbers, and at low frequency (between 1/5 x 10(5) to 1/2 x 10(6)). In thymocytes of 8-wk-old A/J mice, they were occasionally detected at very low frequency (less than or equal to 1/1 x 10(6)), but were not present in the bone marrow cells at any age. These results demonstrate the high incidence of the generation of CTL-P specific for an autologous Ag, and indicate that CRIA on B cells may induce CTL specific for CRIA. However, the development of CTL-P may be inhibited by co-existent suppressor cells under normal conditions.
Dohi
Y
Y
Department of Bacteriology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Yamada
K
K
Ohno
N
N
Aoki
M
M
Takagaki
Y
Y
Nisonoff
A
A
Shinka
S
S
D000818:Animals; D003429:Cross Reactions; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes / Q000235:genetics; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D051379:Mice; D008805:Mice, Inbred A; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013045:Species Specificity; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D010132:p-Azobenzenearsonate / Q000276:immunology
D000939:Epitopes; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D010132:p-Azobenzenearsonate