Induction of primary anti-viral cytotoxic T cells by in vitro stimulation with short synthetic peptide and interleukin-7

✍ Scribed by Ferdynand J. Kos; Arno Müllbacher

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 325 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-2980
• DOI: 10.1002/eji.1830221224

✦ Synopsis

Induction of primary anti-viral cytotoxic T cells by in vitro stimulation with short synthetic peptide and int erleukin-7

The present study investigated whether a short synthetic peptide NPP, with a modified sequence (147-158 R156-) derived from influenza A virus nucleoprotein with high affinity for Kd major histocompatibillity complex class I molecules, could induce primary influenza virus-specific cytotoxic T (T,) cells in vitro. Naive BALB/c (H-2d) splenocytes did not respond to the stimulation with only NPP with the generation of effector T, cells specific for influenza A virus-infected target cells in vitro. However, they were able to do so if cultured with NPP in the presence of IL-7. IL-7 activity in this system differed significantly from IL-2 activity in the specificity of the effect.The use of exogenous IL-2, instead of IL-7, with NPP resulted in the induction of lytic cells that lysed both influenza virus-infected and uninfected syngeneic target cells. These results suggest that IL-7 is a potent regulatory cytokine in the antigen-specific activation of resting naive T, cell precursors and may provide the necessary conditions for the induction of human primary T, cells in vitro.