Herpes virus saimiri-transformed human T lymphocytes: normal functional phenotype and preserved T cell receptor signalling.

Herpes virus saimiri (HVS), a primate herpes virus, transforms human CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes to continuous growth in vitro. We have previously shown that HVS-transformed human T cells (HVS-T cells) respond to stimulation via CD2 with autocrine growth. In the present study we have investigated the functional characteristics of HVS-T cells. We describe that these cells can perform all the functions of normal T cells, i.e. cytokine secretion, cytotoxicity, and exocytosis of granule esterases. All these activities can be triggered via CD2 by binding to its natural ligand or via the TCR, e.g. by anti-TCR antibodies, by recognition of a bacterial superantigen and by MHC-restricted recognition of specific antigen. The pattern of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins after TCR triggering was identical in HVS-T cells and normal T cells. We conclude that HVS-T cells can respond to TCR-mediated signals with the functions of normal T lymphocytes. Furthermore, HVS-T cells are the only transformed human T cells that can be specifically triggered by cytotoxicity and esterase release. The finding that the TCR functions normally in these cells will make HVS a convenient means to immortalize antigen-specific human T lymphocytes.