T cell proliferative responses to a mitogen derived from Mycoplasma arthritidis are controlled by the accessory cell.

Cell-free supernatants from broth cultures of Mycoplasma arthritidis (MAS) induce vigorous proliferative responses in thymus-derived T lymphocytes from H2k or H2d strains of mice. Populations of lymphoid cells from mice of H2b, H2q, or H2s haplotypes do not respond to this stimulus. Previous studies with lymphoid cells from congenic and recombinant strains of mice indicate that the T cell proliferative response induced by MAS is controlled by a gene(s) that maps to the I-E/C subregion of the murine major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The T cell proliferative response induced by MAS is dependent upon the presence of a population of la+, radioresistant accessory cells (AC). Data presented here demonstrates that responder strain AC that have been pulsed with MAS (followed by extensive washing) induced vigorous proliferative responses in subsequently added T cell populations. Pulsing of T cells with MAS, followed by the addition of AC, however, did not result in T cell proliferation. MAS was found to stimulate (responder X nonresponder) F1 T cells to proliferate if the MAS was presented in the context of either responder or (responder X nonresponder) F1 AC; nonresponder strain AC were ineffective in this regard. Nonresponder strain T cells were found to be capable of responding to MAS if it was presented in the context of responder strain AC, even if the T cells and AC were completely allogeneic. Thus, nonresponder strain T cells mounted vigorous proliferative responses if the MAS was presented in the context of responder strain AC. Conversely, responder strain T cells did not respond to MAS presented in the context of nonresponder strain AC. In addition, lymphoid cells from a B10 leads to B6AF1 radiation bone marrow chimera were also found to be capable of responding to MAS, but only in the presence of AC that expressed cell surface determinants controlled by the I-E/C subregion. The data presented here indicate that MAS-induced T cell proliferative responses are controlled at the level of the AC by a gene(s) that maps to the I-E/C subregion of the MHC.