Specific recognition of the product of a transferred major histocompatibility complex gene by cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Mouse L cells transfected with a genomic clone containing the H-2L(d) gene (8-5 cells) were shown to function as targets for H-2L(d)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). The CTL-mediated lysis of 8-5 cells was shown to be H-2L(d) specific by the use of CTL with restricted reactivity, unlabeled target inhibition, and monoclonal inhibition. We also demonstrated that 8-5 cells could function as targets for antibody-plus-complement-mediated cell lysis. Specificity was confirmed by using H-2L(d)-specific monoclonal antibodies. These experiments demonstrate that the gene products of a major histocompatibility complex genomic clone can be functionally expressed in a foreign cell and can mediate immunologically specific cellular interactions.