A 55,000 Mr surface antigen on activated human T lymphocytes defined by a monoclonal antibody.

A T cell growth factor-dependent alloreactive human T cell line has been used to generate a monoclonal antibody B1.49.9 that reacts with an antigen present on most if not all mitogen or alloantigen activated T cells but not on resting T cells. The T lymphoblastoid cell line HUT-102 is also strongly reactive with B1.49.9 but all other T and non-T leukemia-lymphoma cell lines tested were negative. The B1.49.9 antigen is a glycoprotein of 55,000 Mr on mitogen or alloantigen activated T cells and 50,000 Mr on the cell line HUT-102. Pulse labeling experiments showed that a 40,000 Mr precursor (at approximately 0.7 h) which does not bind to ricin lectin precedes the appearance of the ricin-binding 55,000 Mr form. Comparisons of the monoclonal antibody anti-Tac, which recognizes the IL-2 receptor, to B1.49.9 suggest that B1.49.9 also recognizes a structure similar or identical to the IL-2 receptor.