Recent studies show that the serologically defined HLA-A2 molecule can be subdivided according to functional and biochemical characteristics. By the use of various HLA-A2-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and isoelectric focusing, the serologically homogeneous HLA-A2 molecule can be divided into four subtypes. The polymorphism of the serologically defined HLA-A2 molecule has also been demonstrated by the use of HLA-A2-restricted CTLs. This study was designed to analyze the functional epitopes on different HLA-A2 molecules with special regard to the recognition patterns of different types of HLA-A2-restricted CTLs directed against minor histocompatibility (minor H) antigens. Fifteen so-called HLA-A2 variants belonging to distinct HLA-A2 subtypes were tested as target cells in the cell-mediated lympholysis (CML) assay against (1) HLA-A2-restricted antiminor H-Y CTLs, (2) HLA-A2 and -B7-restricted antiminor H-Y CTLs, and (3) HLA-A2, -Bw62 and -B27-restricted antiminor "HA" CTLs. We found that those three CTLs recognized only one of those HLA-A2 variants. Furthermore, positive reactions by the antiminor H CTLs were only observed on those variant cells which carried, in addition to the HLA-A2 variant, either another "normal" HLA-A2 molecule or another required restricting class I molecule necessary for associative recognition. These results indicate that the absence of HLA-A2 normal allotypic target determinant(s) leads to the loss of epitope(s) necessary for recognition of minor H-Y and minor "HA" transplantation antigens by HLA-restricted CTLs. We can conclude from the present study that HLA-A2-restricted antiminor H CTLs use, in general, the same epitope (or cluster of epitopes) for cellular recognition as alloimmune HLA-A2-specific CTLs.