Cell-mediated lympholysis of trinitrophenyl-modified autologous lymphocytes. Confirmation of genetic control of response to trinitrophenyl-modified H-2 antigens by the use of anti-H-2 and anti-Ia antibodies.

Splenic lymphocytes from B10.A and B10.D2 mice were sensitized in vitro to trinitrophenyl (TNP)-modified autologous spleen cells. The effector cells generated were assayed in a 51Cr-release assay on TNP-modified syngeneic or congenic spleen target cells. Effector cells from B10.A donors lysed TNP-modified H-2Kk- but not H-2Dd-region products, whereas B10.D2 effectors reacted with modified products of both the H-2Kd and H-2Dd regions. As an independent confirmation that this selective K-end lysis by B10.A effector cells is due to an H-2-linked responder cell defect (4), anti-H-2Kk but not anti-H-2Dd sera were shown to inhibit the lysis of B10.A-TNP targets by B10.A effectors. In contrast, anti-H-2Dd sera inhibited the lysis of B10.A-TNP targets by B10.D2 effectors. Anti-Ia antibodies had no detectable effect on lysis. Anti-TNP-keyhole limpet hemocyanin sera blocked the lysis of TNP-modified targets, irrespective of whether the effector cells were directed against TNP-modified autologous H-2 products or H-2 alloantigens. These results independently verify that B10. A responding lymphocytes do not generate effector cells to TNP-modified H-2Dd products, whereas B10.D2 lymphocytes do (4), and suggest that some TNP groups are sterically close to (or part of) the serologically defined H-2K- and H-2D-region antigens.