Specificity of mouse cytotoxic T lymphocytes stimulated with either HLA-A and B or HLA-DR antigens reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles

Distinct populations of murine cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) were elicited from primed spleen cells by preparations of HLA-A and B (HLA-A,B) or HLA-DR antigens reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles. These populations could be distinguished by both antiserum blocking and by patterns of cytolysis of a panel of target cells. Cytolysis by CTL stimulated with liposomes that contained HLA-A2 and HLA-B7 antigens could only be blocked by antiserum against HLA-A,B antigens but not by antiserum against HLA-DR antigens. The inverse pattern was seen with HLA-DR-stimulated CTL. When compared with a panel of target cells expressing various HLA-A,B or HLA-DR allospecificites, the strongest CTL reactivity was seen toward those cells that bore the same allospecificites as those presented on the liposomes. Target cells that expressed cross-reactive specificities and unrelated specificites were recognized much less well. The implications of the results for the mechanism of CTL stimulation by liposomes, as well as the relationship between allogeneic and xenogeneic CTL recognition, are discussed.