The products of transferred H-2 genes express determinants that restrict hapten-specific cytotoxic T cells

Cell lines into which cloned H-2 genes had been introduced (i.e., transformants) were used to correlate the genes and their products that are capable of functioning as H-2 restriction elements for hapten-self- (AED and TNP) specific cytotoxic T cells (CTL). These transformants provided a unique system in which major histocompatibility restricted (MHC) T cell recognition could be examined by using cells that express only H-2L(d) or only H-2D(d) gene products. BALB/c[H-2(d)] anti AED-self CTL lysed both the H-2L(d) and D(d) transformants, but not parental, i.e., untransformed, cells. The AED-self lysis of the L(d) and D(d) transformants was shown to be specifically inhibited by anti-H2L(d) and anti H-2D(d) monoclonal antibody, respectively. In contrast to these results, BALB/c anti TNP-self CTL were found to lyse readily the D(d) but not L(d) transformed lines, supporting reports indicating that H-2L(d)-restricted TNP-self CTL could not be detected. The results of this study thus demonstrate that the cell surface products encoded by these transferred MHC class I genes contain self determinants recognized by CTL.