title: Heterogeneity in the response of T cells to antigens presented by B lymphoma cells.
abstract: Proliferation of antigen-specific T-cell populations was induced in cultures stimulated with antigen and a suitable source of antigen-presenting cells. Soluble (keyhole limpet hemocyanin) and particulate (horse red blood cells) antigens were presented by irradiated spleen cells and by a variety of B-lymphoma-cell lines, providing support for antigen-specific H-2-restricted T-cell responses. A marked heterogeneity was demonstrated, however, in the capacity of T-cell lines to proliferate in response to antigen presented by the B-lymphoma cells. T-cell populations were prepared from the lymph nodes of antigen-primed mice and restimulated in vitro in the presence of antigen and irradiated spleen cells. During the first six in vitro restimulations, these T-cell populations maintained the capacity to respond to antigen presented either by irradiated spleen cells or by B-lymphoma cells. Continued growth of these T-cell populations, again in the presence of antigen and irradiated spleen cells, resulted in the generation of T-cell lines which had lost the ability to respond to antigen presented by B-lymphoma cells. These lines however, fully retained the capacity to proliferate in the presence of antigen and irradiated spleen cells. T-cell clones derived from one of these lines were also unable to respond to antigen presented by B-lymphoma cells but again proliferated in the presence of antigen and irradiated spleen cells. Supernatants containing high levels of IL-1, IL-2, or IL-3 activity failed to reconstituted the antigen-specific response of T-cell lines which had lost the capacity to respond to antigen presented by B-lymphoma cells. Furthermore, titrated numbers of irradiated spleen cells, while having the capacity to support T-cell proliferation themselves, failed to synergize with B-lymphoma cells in the support of antigen-specific T-cell proliferation. Thus we have defined populations of antigen-specific, H-2-restricted T cells which do not recognize antigen presented by B-lymphoma cells and can therefore discriminate between different antigen-presenting cell types.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000276:immunology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010047:Ovalbumin; D006433:Hemocyanins