T lymphocytes specific for immunoglobulin allotype. I. Igh-1b-specific T cells demonstrated by suppression in vivo and cytotoxicity in vitro.

We show that determinants of IgG(2a) of C57BL/6 mice (Igh-1(b)) stimulate allotypespecific T cells in BALB/c mice. Such cells are detected in two different functional assays; chronic allotype suppression and T cell-mediated cytotoxicity. A population of suppressor T cells capable of inducing chronic Igh-1(b) suppression was demonstrated by rosetting procedures to possess Igh-1(b)-specific receptors, a result interpreted as indicating that suppressor T cells may act directly upon allotype-bearing B cells. From similar populations we were also able to demonstrate Igh-1(b)-specific cytotoxic T cells. Such cells were lytic for target myeloma cells expressing the Igh-1(b) allotype of IgG28, and were ineffective against a variant cell line failing to express Igh-1(b), and other target cell lines expressing different allotypes or isotypes. The similar specificity of suppressor T cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes for Igh-1(b) allotype raises the possibility that the target in allotype suppression is a B cell, and that allotype-specific cytotoxic T cells may play some role in regulation of allotype expression in the suppressed state.