Biology of cloned cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. V. Recognition is restricted to gene products encoded by the viral S RNA segment.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) Armstrong (ARM) strain-specific, H-2d-restricted CTL effectively lyse syngeneic targets infected by LCMV ARM, but show reduced killing of LCMV Pasteur (PAST) strain-infected H-2d cells. We have reassorted the two RNA segments, large (L) and small (S), of LCMV ARM and PAST to generate LCMV with genotypes of L ARM/S PAST and L PAST/S ARM. By using these reassortants and both LCMV primary CTL and CTL clones, we report that the induction, recognition, and lysis of LCMV-specific CTL depend on the S RNA segment and the genes it encodes.