DOES THE APPARENT H-2 COMPATIBILITY REQUIREMENT FOR VIRUS-SPECIFIC T CELL-MEDIATED CYTOLYSIS REFLECT T CELL SPECIFICITY FOR “ALTERED SELF” OR PHYSIOLOGICAL INTERACTION MECHANISMS?

Abstract

Virus-specific cytotoxic T cells lyse infected targets only when they are compatible at the K or D region of H-2. I region compatibility is neither sufficient nor obviously required. Experiments with H-2K mutant Hzl and Hz 170 mice indicate that the cistron coding for the structure in the K region, which is central to the apparent restriction, is defined by the two mutants. The findings and previous results are discussed with respect to whether the “altered self” model, which proposes that T cells are specific for virus altered self markers coded in the K or D region of H-2, or the physiological interaction model best explain the experimental data including reactivity against alloantigens. T..