Increased density of class I major histocompatibility complex antigens and decreased density of T-cell differentiation antigens in the early stages of T-cell activation.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens and T-cell differentiation antigens on activated T cells play a central role in T-cell interactions. In the present study, we have analyzed time courses of both quantity and density of the T-cell differentiation antigens, CD3 (T3), CD4 (T4), and CD8 (T8), as well as MHC antigens, on the cell surface of T cells, and made correlated measurements of DNA content with the surface antigen quantity as well with RNA content and cell size following activation of T cells by phytohemagglutinin. We found that the quantity and density of class I MHC antigens increase within 24 hr following activation and then decrease, while the quantity and density of the T-cell differentiation antigens decrease within 24 hr following activation, which suggests that T-cell recognition involving class I MHC gene products occurs at an early stage of T-cell activation. Class II MHC antigens can be detected on more than 40% of T cells as the expression of the T-cell differentiation antigens increases much later in the response. Cell cycle studies demonstrated that the density of class I MHC, CD3, CD4, and CD8 antigens was greater in G0/G1 phase cells than G2 phase cells at all times tested during T-cell activation. Our findings suggest that T cells demonstrate a differential regulation in expression of MHC and T-cell differentiation antigens following activation which may reflect their role in cellular interactions.