MULTIVALENT REQUIREMENT FOR THE STIMULATION OF ALLOREACTIVE T-CELLS - STUDIES WITH ENGINEERED SOLUBLE MHC CLASS-I PROTEINS INVITRO AND INVIVO

Abstract

The murine class I major histocompatibility antigens play critical roles in the interaction of class I-restricted T cell receptors with their stimulatory or target antigen presenting cells. One approach taken by our laboratories has been to investigate the biological activity of genetically engineered, soluble, homogenous, purified class I molecules in the stimulation and inhibition of allospecific T cell hybridomas (Margulies et al, 1986; McCluskey et al, 1988; Schneck et al, 1989a). More recently we have established a system for comparing the role of the cell surface multivalent display of the MHC molecule with these monovalent soluble analogues expressed in vivo in transgenic mice. In thi..