Recognition of EBV plasma membrane protein expressed on murine cells after gene transfer.
The immune response to B lymphocytes infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) prevents their overgrowth in normal humans. A murine model is now described for analyzing the T cell immune response to Epstein-Barr virus genes expressed in murine lymphoblasts by gene transfer. In mice, a 60,000 dalton virus-encoded protein characteristically found in the plasma membrane of latently infected human lymphocytes readily induces both proliferative and cytolytic T lymphocytes specific for both the EBV protein and murine major histocompatibility proteins. Longterm cultures of L3T4+ cells, some of which were cytolytic, were found to be restricted by H-2I-Ed and the latent membrane protein. Similarly, Lyt-2+ cells were cytolytic and were restricted by H-2Ld and the lymphocyte membrane protein gene product. The similarity in murine and human effector cell responses suggests that this is a useful experimental model, and the EBV latent infection membrane protein may be an important antigen in the immune restriction of growth transformed latently infected lymphocytes.
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002213:Capsid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology; D012515:Mast-Cell Sarcoma / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D014162:Transfection; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins
D000956:Antigens, Viral; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins