Generation and Characterization of a Monoclonal Antibody that Recognizes an Activation Antigen Expressed by a Majority of Adherent Lymphokine-Activated Killer Cells

Abstract

In an attempt to generate murine natural killer (NK) cell-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) by immunizing Balb/c mice with C57BL/6 (B6) A-LAKs, we have isolated a hybridoma, CS/NicT.2, which secretes an IgM that recognizes a majority of B6 and B6 Rag-1-/- A-LAKs. The CS/NicT.2 antigen is highly expressed by A-LAKs, but only at extremely low levels on resting splenocytes, suggesting that its expression is tightly associated with IL-2 activation. Among the cell lines examined, only CTLL-2 expresses the CS/NicT.2 antigen at relatively high levels. A low level of CS/NicT.2 staining is also detected on resting allo-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) clones, AB.1 and C11. In addition, a similar low level of CS/NicT.2 staining is detected on the T-helper cell line HT-2. The CS/NicT.2 antigen is upregulated by ionomycin but not by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). For the CTL clones examined, CS/NicT.2 staining is also dramatically increased by anti-TCRbeta or anti-CD3epsilon stimulation. Protease treatments of CTLL-2 show that this antigen is proteinase K sensitive, but relatively resistant to trypsin digestion. Furthermore, the CS/NicT.2 antigen exhibits a relatively fast turnover rate as assessed by proteinase K and cycloheximide treatments of CTLL-2, suggesting that the CS/NicT.2 antigen may have a short half-life on the cell surface.