Frequency analysis of class I MHC-reactive Lyt-2+ and class II MHC-reactive L3T4+ IL 2-secreting T lymphocytes.
The reactivity of Lyt-2+ or L3T4+ T cells stimulated with either mutant class I or class II MHC alloantigens was studied. Whereas stimulation with class I MHC antigens induced only Lyt-2+ T cells to proliferate and to secrete IL 2, stimulation with class II MHC alloantigens induced L3T4+ but not Lyt-2+ T cells. When the frequencies of precursors of IL 2-secreting T lymphocytes (IL 2TL-p) were determined by limiting dilution analyses, class I MHC-reactive Lyt-2+ T cells displayed frequencies (f = 1/200) as high in magnitude as those within class II MHC-reactive L3T4+ (f = 1/100). Clonally developing IL 2TL of either T cell subset were antigen-specific, as shown in split-culture experiments. Whereas L3T4+ helper TL could be induced to specific IL 2 secretion over a long time period (days 3 to 9), Lyt-2+ TL showed a marked time optimal on day 4; thereafter, the number of TL colonies inducible to secrete IL 2 decreased steadily. IL 2 production and IL 2TL-p frequencies of unseparated T responder cells were not the numerical superposition of the two individual T cell subsets (Lyt-2+ + L3T4+); the latter finding is likely to reflect regulatory influences of Lyt-2+ T cells on IL 2-secreting L3T4+ T cells.
D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000032:analysis*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000276:immunology; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000950:Antigens, Ly; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007519:Isoantigens