In vitro analysis of allogeneic lymphocyte interaction. VII. I-A-restricted self-reactive and alloreactive helper components of allogeneic effect factor are distinct donor T cell-derived Ia-molecules that recognize Ia determinants on antigen-presenting cells.

An allogeneic effect factor (AEF) derived from mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) cultures of alloactivated A.SW (H-2s) responder T cells and irradiated T cell-depleted A/WySn (H-2a) stimulator spleen cells was fractionated on the basis of molecular size and charge into two I-A-restricted helper components. The cellular origin of these components is believed to be an Lyt-1+2- -activated responder T helper (TH) cell. One alloreactive component, TIAH-1, recognizes allo-I-A determinants on an A/WySn antigen-presenting cell (APC). The other self-reactive component, TIAH-2, recognizes self-I-A determinants on an A.SW APC. The interaction of each of these components with the appropriate APC subsequently activates an in vitro primary anti-SRBC PFC response of either stimulator haplotype- or responder haplotype-derived B cells. These data demonstrate that the activity of TIAH-1 and TIAH-2 is dependent on the genotype of the APC and not the B cell, and that the target cell of action of these AEF TH components is an APC. TIAH-1 and TIAH-2 are 68,000 mol wt single polypeptide chains that have an isoelectric point (pI) of 5.8 and 5.5, respectively. Their charge difference is not attributable to altered amounts of sialylation or phosphorylation, but probably is due to other forms of altered glycosylation and/or to changes in their amino acid sequence. They share approximately 80% of their tryptic peptides and likely constitute homologous but nonidentical molecules. Papain cleaves TIAH-1 and TIAH-2 into a 40,000 mol wt fragment. TIAH-1 and TIAH-2 may represent structurally very related but nonidentical secreted forms of activated responder TH cell-derived receptors for allo-I-A and self-I-A determinants, respectively.