De novo expression of T cell markers on Theileria parva-transformed lymphoblasts in cattle.

We describe monoclonal antibodies that detect two new membrane antigens on bovine T cells. One molecule is only expressed on activated T cells and has a m.w. of 100,000. The other antigen is a glycoprotein that is precipitated as two bands of m.w. 150,000 and 158,000 and is expressed on a subpopulation of T cells and all myeloid cells. We show that when bovine lymphocytes are transformed by the protozoan parasite Theileria parva, both antigens become expressed on the cell surface. The infected cell acquires the phenotype of a proliferating T cell, irrespective of its precursor cell phenotype.