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The role of accessory cells in polyclonal T cell activation III. No requirement for recognition of H‐2‐encoded antigens on accessory cells
Author(s) -
Hünig Thomas
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
european journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.272
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1521-4141
pISSN - 0014-2980
DOI - 10.1002/eji.1830140602
Subject(s) - biology , antigen presenting cell , antigen , major histocompatibility complex , t cell , cytotoxic t cell , microbiology and biotechnology , mhc class ii , cd1 , pan t antigens , mhc restriction , antigen presentation , immunology , polyclonal antibodies , mhc class i , immune system , in vitro , biochemistry
Abstract Highly purified murine lymph node T cells were used to test the hypothesis that polyclonal T cell activation requires the recognition of mitogen‐modified major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens on accessory cells (AC) by the T cells. A veriety of tumor cell lines, including macrophage, B and mast cell tumors, as well as thymomas, were shown to function as AC in concanavalin A‐induced T cell activation, even if they expressed only one class of MHC antigens or none at all. In contrast to antigen‐specific responses, where the Lyt‐2 + phenotype is reportedly associated with recognition of class I MHC antigens, T cells enriched for or depleted of Lyt‐2 + cells were not preferentially activated in the presence of class I‐ or class II‐positive AC, respectively. In addition, as shown by others in the guinea pig and in the rat systems, T cell proliferation induced by oxidation of cell surface sugars is equally effective if T cells or AC are oxidized. T cell mitogens, therefore, do not seem to act by altering MHC antigens on AC, but rather by providing T cell‐AC contact via their agglutinating properties.