Antigenic requirements for stimulation and target cell recognition by immune and non-immune cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

The molecular requirements for recognition of antigen-modified cells by cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors (CTLp) and their activated progeny, cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), have been compared using haptenated stimulator and target cells. The antigen density requirements of T cell recognition by fluorescein-specific CTLp and CTL derived both from naive mice and from animals previously primed in vivo were determined. The cell surface hapten concentration required to stimulate CTLp cannot be distinguished from that required on target cells for lysis by their mature daughter CTL 5-7 days later. However, if the CTL (and their precursor CTLp) are derived from mice primed in vivo with hapten-conjugated cells, they require lower cell surface hapten densities for recognition than do the analogous T cell populations from naive animals. Thus, the maturation of CTLp into CTL during 5-7 days in vitro does not result in any functionally relevant change in the nature or density of antigen receptors on the surface of the T cell. This is in contrast to the apparent selection which occurs over longer time periods in vivo following priming.