The reovirus-specific cytotoxic T cell response is not restricted to serotypically unique epitopes associated with the virus hemagglutinin.

Reovirus, a virus that contains neither an envelope nor glycosylated polypeptides, has been found to induce virus-specific, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen restricted, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. The cytotoxic T cells require in vitro stimulation in the presence of virus to phenotypically express cytotoxic activity. Utilizing reovirus types 1 and 3, the CTLs derived from mice infected with one serotype can lyse target cells infected with a second serotype of reovirus. In addition, lymphocytes primed in vivo with one serotype develop into fully functional CTLs during in vitro stimulation with the other serotype of reovirus. Therefore, these results suggest that reovirus induced CTLs are virus, but not serotype specific. Common determinants shared by reovirus polypeptides from reovirus types 1 and 3 are most likely the stimuli for the majority of CTLs responses to reovirus.