Killing of mouse blastocyst stage embryos by cytotoxic T lymphocytes directed to major histocompatibility complex antigens.
A new assay, mixed embryo leukocyte interaction assay, in which the ability of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) to kill preimplantation mouse embryos could be investigated, is described. CTL were generated both in vitro and in vivo to the H-2b and H-2d haplotypes. The specificity of the CTL was verified by using EL-4 (H-2b) and P815 (H-2d) target cells in a 51Cr-release assay. The cytolytic effect of the CTL on mouse blastocysts was measured by assessing blastocoel retention and inhibition of [3H]thymidine incorporation by the embryos. It was shown that CTL kill blastocyst stage embryos from C57BL/6J (H-2b) and B10.D2 (H-2d) mice with the zona pellucida removed, but not with the zona pellucida intact. These results demonstrate that the H-2 antigens present on mouse blastocysts can be recognized by CTL. It is suggested that one biologic role for the zona pellucida is the prevention of cell-mediated destruction of preimplantation embryos in utero.
D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000276:immunology
D006183:H-2 Antigens