Limitations of recognition of modified-self by alloantigen-activated cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

Alloantigen-activated CTL from CBA (H-2k), but not from C57BL/6 (H-2b), mice were able to lyse autologous cells modified by incubation with TNP-HSA. Moreover, allogeneic CTL of the H-2k haplotype lysed syngeneic cells modified with high or low concentrations of TNBS. Allogeneic CTL of the H-2b haplotype, however, did not lyse autologous cells modified with low concentrations of TNBS, even though they lysed syngeneic cells modified with high concentrations of TNBS. These limitations of recognition by the different H-2 haplotypes paralleled the restrictions evident for MHC-restricted, TNBS-specific CTL. It was thus apparent that alloantigen-activated CTL are governed by the same limitations of recognition operant for the MHC-restricted, TNBS-specific CTL.