Stimulation of activated rat T cells in vitro by Listeria monocytogenes antigens.

A soluble extract of Listeria monocytogenes bound firmly and in similar amounts to a variety of rat cells. Cells that bound this material differed in their capacity to stimulate the in vitro proliferation of lymphocytes obtained from the thoracic duct of Listeria-immune donors. The capacity of cells to serve as antigen-presenting cells in this system coincided or closely overlapped the expression on these cells of an Ia antigen-like structure. Three lines of evidence indicate that T cells respond to L. monocytogenes antigen: the responder cells are members of a nylon-wool nonadherent population that lacks readily detectable surface immunoglobulin; they express determinants recognized by the W3/25 monoclonal antibody (a surface marker of rat peripheral T cells); and they are stimulated optimally by L. monocytogenes antigen when the latter is displayed on cells that share a haplotype with the responder lymphocytes.