Genetics and strain distribution of concanavalin A-reactive Ly-2-, L3T4- peripheral precursors of autoreactive T cells.

Cytotoxic treatment of BALB/c cells from different peripheral lymphoid tissues by a cocktail of monoclonal antibodies against Thy-1, Ly-1, L3T4 and Ly-2 differentiation markers (anti-T cocktail) plus complement eliminates all mature T lymphocytes. Yet a population of dull Thy-1+, Ly-1-, L3T4-, Ly-2-, corresponding to about 1% of the initial population, can be detected by flow cytometry which proliferate under concanavalin A stimulation. These anti-T killing-resistant cells (TKR) were previously shown to be capable of differentiating in culture into class II-restricted autoreactive T helper cells.

Origin of autoreactive T helper cells. I. Characterization of Thy-1+, Lyt-, L3T4- precursors in the spleen of normal mice.

A new population of dull Thy-1+, Ly-1-, Lyt-2-, L3T4- PNA- cells, resistant to a double cytotoxic treatment by monoclonal antibodies to these T cell markers plus complement, has been isolated from the spleen of normal adult BALB/c and DBA/2 mice (Tkr cells). These cells exhibit no spontaneous autoreactivity or alloreactivity but can be activated with concanavalin A (Con A). Once activated, they differentiate into bright Thy-1+, Ly-1+, Lyt-2-, L3T4+ PNA- T lymphocytes.