Specific lysis of antigenically irrelevant cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes upon insertion of appropriate antigens into the target cell plasma membranes.
The importance of the membrane milieu to functional presentation of target cell (TC) antigens to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) was investigated by examining the interaction of CTL with TC plasma membrane (PM) fractions, in isolated form or integrated into antigenically irrelevant TC. Isolated ascitic vesicles, microsomes, and purified PM, containing serologically defined alloantigens that have been implicated as the relevant TC antigens, effectively, yet nonspecifically, inhibited the binding and lysis of TC by CTL. The same PM fractions, when inserted into antigenically irrelevant TC via vesicles containing Sendai virus components, rendered the TC susceptible to CTL-mediated lysis directed against the inserted antigens. These findings suggest that CTL interact specifically with TC determinants only when they are embedded in the proper membrane environment.
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008805:Mice, Inbred A; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008861:Microsomes / Q000276:immunology; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D010222:Parainfluenza Virus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000939:Epitopes