Reduction of CTL antipeptide response mediated by CD8+ cells whose class I MHC can bind the peptide.

Primary CTL responses can be generated in vitro against defined peptides in association with class I MHC molecules. We show here that if cells obtained from a 5-day MLR are also included in the cultures, the response is greatly reduced if the added cells both carry CD8 and can bind the peptide. Our interpretation is that the added MLR cells are acting as deletional APC or veto cells. Peptide-specific CTL precursors recognize the peptide on the class I MHC of the CD8+ MLR cells and then receive a negative signal via CD8 on these cells. In support of this, when MLR cells carrying the Lyt-2.1 allele of CD8 were used to down-regulate the response of Ly-2.2+ responder cells, inclusion of anti-Ly-2.1 mAb in the cultures partially reversed the response reduction. Similar signaling may occur in vivo. When mice were injected i.v. with syngeneic lymphoid cells incubated with a peptide which they could bind, the response against that peptide was specifically reduced in a subsequent in vitro assay.