Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol 147, 25-36, Copyright © 1978 by Rockefeller University Press
Alloantigen receptors on activated T cells in mice. I. Binding of alloantigens and anti-idiotypic antibodies to the same receptors
PH Krammer
B6 alloantigens in supernates from one-way mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR)
cultures of AKR T cells against B6 lymph node cells rebound specifically to
(B6)AKR-T-cell blasts after overnight incubation and recovery of these
blasts from trypsin treatment. A similar specificity was observed with the
binding of SJL alloantigens to (SJL)AKR-T-cell blasts. In both cases, the
corresponding alloantigens were rebound several-fold more efficiently than
control alloantigens. In a different assay system, T-cell receptors were
studied with anti-idiotypic sera. These antisera were raised by repeated
injection of purified (B6)AKR-T- cell blasts into (AKR X B6)F1 hybrid mice.
These F1a(AKRaB6) sera reacted with the majority of (B6)AKR-T and (B6)(AKR
X SJL)F1-T-cell blasts. They also reacted with a lower, though sizable,
number of (SJL)AKR-T- and (SJL)(AKR X B6)F1-T-cell blasts. No reaction was
observed with (B6)SJL-T, concanavalin A-activated AKR T-cell blasts, normal
B6, (AKR X B6)F1, and (AKR X SJL)F1 T cells. Normal AKR T cells were
positive only minimally above background. F1a(AKRaB6) sera could be made
specific for (B6)AKR-T and (B6)(AKR X SJL)F1-T-cell blasts by absorption of
contaminating antibodies with (SJL)AKR-T-cell blasts. Finally, it was shown
by competition experiments that the receptors on MLR-activated T-cell
blasts that bind alloantigens were the same as those binding anti-idiotypic
antibodies. In addition, it was found that at least a fraction of
alloantibodies share common idiotypic determinants with receptors on
MLR-activated T-cell blasts.