Development in vitro of cytotoxic lymphocytes against murine cytomegalovirus.

Lymphocytes cytotoxic for mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF) infected with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) were produced by in vitro culture of "memory" spleen cells with UV-irradiated, MCMV-infected, MEF. Cytotoxic lymphocytes were developed from spleen cells of mice 10 to 240 days after infection with MCMV. The cytotoxic cells carried the theta and Ly 2 antigens, and were H-2 restricted in the recognition of infected target cells.