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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1992 Dec 1;89(23):11381–11385. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.23.11381

Major histocompatibility complex class I-specific and -restricted killing of beta 2-microglobulin-deficient cells by CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

R Glas 1, L Franksson 1, C Ohlén 1, P Höglund 1, B Koller 1, H G Ljunggren 1, K Kärre 1
PMCID: PMC50554  PMID: 1454824

Abstract

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) recognize major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules, normally composed of a heavy chain, a beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m), and peptide antigens. beta 2m is considered essential for the assembly and intracellular transport of MHC class I molecules as well as their peptide presentation to CTLs. Contrary to this dogma, we now report the generation of allospecific and restricted CD8+ and TCR alpha beta+ CTLs (where TCR is T-cell receptor) capable of killing beta 2m-deficient cells. Such CTLs were obtained by priming mice with live allogeneic beta 2m- spleen cells or mutant lymphoma cells producing MHC class I protein but no detectable beta 2m. Although both beta 2m- and beta 2m-expressing lymphoma cells were rejected in allogeneic mice, only the former were efficient inducers of CTLs recognizing beta 2m- cells. These CTLs were MHC class I (H-2Kb or Db)-specific and CD8-dependent and did not require serum as a source of external beta 2m in the culture. They could be induced across major and minor histocompatibility barriers. The H-2-restricted CTLs generated in the latter case failed to kill the antigen-processing-deficient target RMA-S cells. The results show that MHC class I heavy chains in beta 2m- cells can be transported to the cell surface and act as antigens or antigen-presenting molecules to allospecific and MHC-restricted CTLs.

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Selected References

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