Role of sendai virus fusion-glycoprotein in target cell susceptibility to cytotoxic T cells

Abstract

IN mice, cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are generated in vivo or in vitro against virally-infected syngeneic cells1–4. The specificity of killing requires that the target cells possess both viral gene product(s) and H–2K and/or D gene products which are identical to those on the effector cells5. Target cells coated with non-infectious (ultraviolet-inactivated) Sendai virus are also specifically lysed by syngeneic virus-specific CTLs6. We show here that it is primarily the fusion glycoprotein of the Sendai virus envelope which is essential for the formation of the target antigen on cells coated with ultraviolet-inactivated Sendai virus.