High molecular weight antigens present on human T cells.

A series of eight high molecular weight (140,000-220,000) glycoproteins on human peripheral T cells were recognized by radioimmunoprecipitation with a rabbit antiserum. The pattern of antigens present on each of eight human T cell lines studied was unique, and no line displayed the range of antigens present on peripheral T cells. The pattern of bands on peripheral T cells changed after allogeneic or lectin stimulation. Adsorption/elution experiments with antiserum showed that some of these proteins were antigenically related, and at least three different groups of proteins were present. Two of these groups could be partially distinguished by their ability to bind to ricin or lentil lectin and by their reactivity with two additional rabbit antisera. On some cell lines, it was found that proteins bound by lentil lectin but not ricin were precursors of higher molecular weight material recognized by ricin. Taken together, the data suggest that these proteins may be the products of a multigenic or multiallelic system, probably equivalent to the murine Ly 5 antigens.