Role of early viral surface antigens in cellular immune response to vaccinia virus.

Infection of mice with the vaccinia virus strain WR, Elstree or DIs, a coditional lethal mutant of vaccinia virus, resulted in the generation of vaccinia virus-specific sensitized cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL). It could be shown by cross-reactivity between the three strains and by inhibition experiments with specific antisera that early vaccinia surface antigens are sufficient for the generation of specific CTL in vivo and for the lysis of infected target cells in vitro.