Recognition of simian virus 40 T antigen synthesized during viral lytic cycle in monkey kidney cells expressing mouse H2K b- and H2D b-transfected genes by SV40-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes leads to the abrogation of virus lytic cycle

Abstract

Simian virus 40 (SV40)-encoded tumor or T antigen localizes in the membranes in addition to the nucleus of SV40-infected permissive monkey cells and SV40-transformed nonpermissive cells. The surface T antigen in SV40-transformed mouse cells provides a target for the cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) which recognize SV40 T antigen in association with murine K/D, class I H-2 antigens. In order to demonstrate that SV40 T antigen synthesized in SV40-infected permissive monkey kidney cells (TC-7) may also function as a target for CTL, cloned murine H2D b and H2K b genes were expressed in TC-7 cells by DNA transfection and TC-7 cell lines expressing high levels of either H2K b or HD b antigens were established after cell sorting. SV40-infected TC-7/H2K b and TC-7/H2D b cells became susceptible to lysis by SV40-specific H-2 b restricted CTL. The susceptibility of these transfected SV40-infected monkey cells to anti-SV40 bulk culture CTL and SV40-specific H2D b- and H2K b-restricted CTL clones depended upon the synthesis of SV40 T antigen and the expression of the appropriate H2K b or H2D b restriction elements. Treatment of SV40-infected TC-7/H2D b and TC-7/H2K b With CTL clones abrogated the virus lytic cycle indicating that CTL may play an important role in limiting papovavirus infection in the natural host.