Listeria monocytogenes- (LM) antigen-dependent cytotoxic lymphocytes, identified in a companion manuscript as T cells (CTL), can kill a wide variety of target cells, including syngeneic fibroblasts of both fetal and adult origin, and certain allogeneic and xenogeneic tumor cells. Cold target cell inhibition assays revealed that cells susceptible to lysis can block the cytolytic process in a dose-dependent manner, whereas lysis-resistant cells cannot. Several lines of evidence indicate that to realize their cytolytic potential, LM-dependent CTL must bind to their targets. Aggressor cells that adhere to susceptible target cell monolayers have enhanced cytolytic activity when compared with unfractionated cells or cells that do not adhere. LM-dependent CTL fail to kill when they are separated from susceptible targets by an agar barrier. Arguments against the complicity of a soluble mediator in the killing process derive from the rapid (within 3 hr) expression of cytotoxicity in circumstances where cell contact can occur, and the finding that spent medium in which LM-dependent CTL are either activated or assayed is devoid of cytolytic activity. The specificity of LM-dependent CTL suggests that these effector T cells recognize an as yet unidentified array of antigens that are expressed on a variety of rodent cells. Their cytolytic repertoire cannot be ascribed solely to the polyclonal activation of alloreactive T cells, because responder cells that have been negatively selected for a particular RT-1 haplotype can kill target cells bearing these alloantigens.
Soon after rats are infected with Listeria monocytogenes (LM), Listeria antigen- (LMA) responsive lymphocytes are delivered to the animal's thoracic duct. These LM-responsive lymphocytes can be restimulated in vitro by LMA to generate cells that have a potent cytolytic capability. The activation of LMA responsive lymphocytes is immunologically specific and dependent upon the activity of histocompatible accessory cells. Neither cell-free LMA nor LMA-pulsed allogeneic accessory cells can promote a significant cytotoxic response by negatively selected responder lymphocytes. LM-dependent cytolytic lymphocytes differ from natural killer (NK) cells inasmuch as their activation is not facilitated by interferon (IF). Likewise, supernatants from cultures containing specifically sensitized thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes and histocompatible LMA-pulsed accessory cells fail to augment (day 2 and day 3 supernatants actually inhibit) the activation process. The results imply that the successful activation of LM dependent cytolytic lymphocytes requires the cooperative interplay of responder T cells and specific-antigen-pulsed accessory cells.
The cytotoxicity of vaccinia-immune rabbit spleen cells against autochthonous, allogeneic, and xenogeneic vaccinia-infected target cells was studied by using the 51Cr release assay. The results showed that whereas effector cells from rabbit spleen could not lyse the xenogeneic target cells, there was no consistent difference in lysis of autochthonous and allogeneic targets. Antibody-mediated cytotoxicity showed the resistance to cell-mediated lysis in this system not to be the result of reduced virus antigen on the cell surface. These data also showed the established cell line RK13 was markedly more sensitive to immune spleen cell lysis than short-term rabbit skin fibroblast cultures. The data suggested that it is possible to develop standardized tests to evaluate cell-mediated immunity to virus infections in a noninbred population.
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