Clones of helper T cells mediate antigen-specific, H-2-restricted DTH.
It is now well established that in the mouse, helper T cells and killer T cells are two distinct thymus-derived lymphocyte subpopulations, differing from each other in Lyt phenotype and H-2 restriction, among other parameters. Helper T cells are Lyt-1+ and their action in immune responses involves restriction at the H-2I region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Killer cells, on the other hand, are Lyt-23+ and their activity is restricted by H-2K/D (refs 1, 3). In most instances, T cells mediating delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses share the Lyt phenotype and H-2 restriction of the helper T cell. This raises the question of whether or not helper activity and DTH can be mediated by the same activated T cell. Arguments for both views have been reported. We analysed this question using clones of specific helper T cells, which were obtained by long-term culture in vitro of in vivo primed T cells, followed by single-cell cloning. Here we show that these clones of helper T cells mediate antigen-specific and fully H-2-restricted DTH. The restricting element lies to the left of the I-B region in genetic maps of the mouse MHC.
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006736:Horses / Q000276:immunology; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000276:immunology; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D006183:H-2 Antigens