Predominant utilization of V beta 8+ T cell receptor genes in the H-2Ld- restricted cytotoxic T cell response against the immediate-early protein pp89 of the murine cytomegalovirus

Cytotoxic T cell responses to the murine Cytomegalovirus (MCMV)
were elicited in BALB/c mice (H-2d) by infectious virus. Eight days
after infection, MCMV-primed local lymph node T cells were either
depleted for T cells expressing a V beta 8+ TCR or separated into V
beta 8+ and V beta 8- subpopulations by a cell sorter using the mAb
F23.1. T cells were then expanded in vitro under limiting dilution
conditions in the presence of IL-2 and in the absence of viral Ag
to avoid selection by Ag in vitro. Frequencies of CTL precursors
specific for the Immediate- Early-Ag 1 of MCMV and restricted to
H-2Ld were determined. L cells of the endogenous haplotype H-2k
cotransfected with the genes for MCMV-IE 1 and H-2Ld were used as
target cells. Detection of a CTL response required previous priming
of the animals by infection in vivo (less than 1/10(6) for
nonimmunized animals). In primed animals CTL precursors of this
specificity and restriction were three to fivefold more frequent in
the V beta 8+ population (1/9.900 to 1/22.300) than in the V beta
8- population (1/57.000 to 1/87.200). Control experiments showed
that frequencies were not influenced by the treatment with the
anti-V beta 8-antibody and the fluorescein-labeled anti-Ig itself.
V beta 8+ and V beta 8- T cells did not reveal any frequency
differences when several other responses were determined
(TNP-specific self- restricted CTL precursor; Th cells specific for
keyhole limpet hemocyanin or Listeria monocytogenes).