Hapten‐specific helper T cells. II. Genetic determination of functional recognition

摘要

AbstractHelper T cells can be raised in CBA mice with specificity for syngeneic spleen cells derivatized with each of the three haptens, trinitrophenyl (TNP), fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and 3‐(p‐sulfophenyldiazo)‐4‐hydroxyphenyl (SP). These helper cells are exquisitely specific for the homologous antigens, since they express helper activity on target B cells derivatized with hapten concentrations 100‐fold lower than those used for priming, while being totally unable to recognize the heterologous hapten modifications. Expression of helper activity,i.e. induction of target B cells, requires the simultaneous recognition of antigen and I‐A‐ or I‐E/C‐encoded determinants directly on therespondingB cell surfaces.Helper T cells raised in DBA/2 mice with specificity for the same hapten modifications, while functionally recognizing as efficiently as CBA helper cells densely coupled target cells, fail to interact with syngeneic cells derivatized with low concentrations of any of the three haptens. Furthermore, DBA/2 helper cells show a unique “fine specificity” pattern in that anti‐FITC DBA/2 helpers cross‐rea