Generation of the alloreactive T cell repertoire: K region homology between H-2b T cell precursors and T cell maturation environment is required for the generation of the Kbm6-specific cytotoxic T cell repertoire.

The influence of T cell genotype and T cell maturation environment on the generation of the T cell alloreactive repertoire was evaluated in the H-2b cytotoxic T lymphocyte response to Kb mutant determinants expressed by the strain B6-H-2bm6. Specifically, by constructing radiation bone marrow chimeras with B6 or B10 (H-2b) donor cells and B10.BR, B10.A(4R), B10.MBR, and B6.C-H-2bm1 irradiated mice as recipients, it was possible to investigate the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-encoded gene products of the host environment required for the generation of a bm6-specific H-2b CTL response. The results of such experiments confirmed the previous finding that the alloreactive T cell repertoire is influenced both by T cell MHC genotype and by the MHC gene products of the T cell maturation environment. In addition, the results of the present study further demonstrated that in the chimeric donor and host genetic combinations used, it was both necessary and sufficient that there be a homology of K region-encoded determinants for the generation of a bm6-specific CTL response. Experiments utilizing a mixed responder population of unresponsive B6----B10.D2 spleen cells and responsive Lyt-2 congenic B6.Lyt-2.1 spleen cell suggested that the cellular defect(s) underlying the unresponsiveness of the chimeric cells to bm6-encoded determinants was at the level of the CTL precursor. Together, these findings indicate that an interaction of the K region-encoded gene products of the T cell and its maturation environment play a critical role in the generation of the CTL repertoire specific for bm6 mutant determinants. We discuss here the possibility that this interaction may reflect a requirement that T cells recognize such mutant allodeterminants in association with self restriction elements present on the same mutant K region-encoded molecule.