Characterization of T-cell surface proteins bound by heterologous antisera to antigen-specific T-cell products.

Heterologous antisera specific for murine T-cell antigen-recognition molecules were prepared by immunization of rabbits with dinitrophenyl-specific murine T-cell suppressor factors that had been purified by hapten-affinity chromatography. The antisera (i) bind to antigen-specific T-cell products that differ in their antigen-recognizing specificity; (ii) absorb the specific suppressor activity in preparations containing suppressor factors; (iii) stain all Lyt2+ T cells brightly in indirect immunofluorescence examination, stain some Lyt1+ cells (with low intensity), and do not stain B cells; (iv) precipitate cell membrane proteins from T cells that bear striking structural resemblance to the antigen-specific molecules used for immunization. These results suggest that, like B cells, there is a commonality between antigen-specific effector molecules released by T cells and their membrane-associated receptors.