The immune response to Moloney murine leukemia virus-induced tumors: induction of cytolytic T lymphocytes specific for both viral and tumor-associated antigens.
The specificity of CTL generated against tumors induced by murine leukemia viruses (MuLV) has been reported to parallel the expression of two serologically defined tumor cell surface antigens--the cross-reactive FMR antigen expressed on the surface of tumors induced by Friend, Moloney, and Rauscher MuLV, and the Gross cell surface antigen (GCSA) expressed on tumors induced by AKV/Gross MuLV. We examined the specificity of CTL generated against MuLV-induced tumors and identified two distinct patterns of reactivity. The first follows the traditional pattern of FMR vs GCSA reactivity as assessed on a panel of established MuLV-induced lymphomas. However, CTL exhibiting this pattern of reactivity are incapable of lysing MuLV-infected fibroblasts. CTL exhibiting the second pattern of reactivity are capable of lysing MuLV-induced lymphomas as well as MuLV-infected fibroblasts. In addition, these CTL exhibit extensive cross-reactivity between lymphomas and fibroblasts infected by both groups of MuLV. Our results suggest that CTL exhibiting the traditional FMR vs GCSA pattern of reactivity are directed against a tumor-associated antigen and not against virus-encoded antigens, and that CTL directed against MuLV-encoded antigens demonstrate extensive cross-reactivity, including the ability to lyse AKV-infected cells.
D000406:AKR murine leukemia virus / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000276:immunology; D005622:Friend murine leukemia virus / Q000276:immunology; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008979:Moloney murine leukemia virus / Q000276:immunology*; D011925:Rauscher Virus / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000956:Antigens, Viral