Analysis of antigen uptake and presentation by Epstein-Barr virus-transformed human lymphoblastoid B cells.

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Epstein-Barr virus-transformed human B cells (EBV-B cells), but not resting B cells or B cells activated by T cell-derived factors, have been shown to support the proliferation of tetanus toxoid (TT)-specific autologous T cell clones in response to TT antigen. The accessory cell function of EBV-B cells was compared to that of monocytes with regard to antigen uptake and processing. After an 18-h incubation period with 125I-labeled TT, the amount of radioactivity associated with the cells (approximately 50 ng/10(7) cells) and the percentage of cells containing radiolabeled material (approximately 50%) were equivalent for EBV-B cells and monocytes. Like with monocytes, EBV-B cells pulsed with TT for 18 h or more were equivalent in their capacity to induce T cell proliferation to EBV-B cells to which soluble TT was added for the duration of the culture period. The requirements for antigen uptake and presentation to T cells were similar for both EBV-B cells and monocytes. Both processes were energy dependent, inhibited by cold (4 degrees C), 2-deoxyglucose, and azide, and both required no de novo protein synthesis as they were not affected by pretreatment of the cells with the irreversible protein inhibitor pactamycin . Trypsin treatment of antigen-pulsed EBV-B cells and monocytes followed by fixation for 1 min in 0.03% paraformaldehyde completely abolished the capacity of both cell types to induce T cell proliferation. In both EBV-B cells and monocytes, antigen presentation, but not antigen uptake, was inhibited by the addition of the lysosomotropic agent chloroquine during the antigen-pulse period suggesting that the mechanisms of antigen processing are similar for both cell types. Vacuoles positive for acid phosphatase with an electron microscopic structure similar to that of lysosomes were found in EBV-B cells but not in resting B cells or B cells activated by T cell-derived factors. The present observations indicate that EBV-B cells take up antigen and process it in a fashion similar to monocytes. The presence of lysosomes appears to correlate with the capacity of B cells to present antigen.