Cytotoxic T lymphocyte recognition of secreted HLA class I molecules
Kahn-Perles, B.; Barra, C.; Jehan, J.; Fourel, D.; Barad, M.; Maryanski, J.L.; Lemonnier, F.A.
Journal of Immunology 142(9): 3021-3025
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1767 PMID: 2468709 Document Number: 329968
The cytolytic responses of DBA/2 mice against syngeneic transfected P815 mastocytoma cells expressing either membrane-associated (HLA-Cw3) or -secreted hybrid (HLA-CW3 .times. H-2 Q10b) molecules were compared. In spite of the absence of serologically detectable hybrid molecules on their plasma membrane, cells secreting these molecules elicited a CTL response similar to that of cells expressing the membrane associated HLA-Cw3 molecules, in terms of both MHC-restriction and peptide specificity. Together with the observation that syngeneic mice were capable of rejecting the injected secreting cells, these results imply that secreted HLA class I molecules can function as minor histocompatibility Ag and suggest that processing of both the membrane-bound and the -secreted forms of a protein may follow common or overlapping pathways.