Separation and comparison of human TL-like antigens and HLA(A, B, C) antigens expressed on cultured T cells.

Beta 2-microglobulin-bound T-cell membrane components containing both human TL-like antigens and HLA(A, B, C) antigens were partially purified from Renex 30-solubilized membrane material of cells of a human T-cell-type leukemia cell line, HPB-ALL. The radioiodinated preparation was subjected to limited papain digestion; the HLA(A, B, C) antigens split, whereas a large portion of the human TL-like antigens remained intact. The antigen molecules were recovered by lentil-lectin affinity chromatography and separated by gel filtration on the basis of the induced difference in molecular size. The human TL-like-antigen preparation thus obtained was essentially free of HLA(A, B, C) antigens. The human TL-like antigens were immunospecifically precipitated and the component polypeptide, heavy and light, chains were separated by acid dissociation followed by gel filtration. The component chains were compared with the corresponding chains of HLA(A, B, C) antigens obtained similarly from the same HPB-ALL cells with respect to their fragmentation patterns on chemical or enzymatic cleavage. The results provided convincing evidence for the identity of the light chains of human TL-like antigens and HLA(A, B, C) antigens, and also evidence suggesting the presence of substantial differences in the fundamental structure of the heavy chains of human TL-like antigens and HLA(A, B, C) antigens.