Fine-specificity of the immune response to oxazolones. IV. Furyloxazolone-specific cytolytic T lymphocytes (unlike antibodies) are not heteroclitic.

Antibodies, raised in CBA and C3H mice, to a hapten 2-furyloxazolone (furyl Ox) have a strange (heteroclitic) fine-specificity, having a higher affinity for the chemical analogue 2-styryloxazolone (styryl Ox) than for furyl Ox. Other mouse strains were found to produce 'normal' anti-furyl Ox antibodies, and the heteroclicity was inherited as an Igh allotype-linked trait (Mäkelä, Matoso-Ferreira & Kaartinen 1983). Hapten-specific cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) were generated by painting cyclophosphamide-treated mice with chemically reactive haptens, furyl Ox and styryl Ox, and their fine-specificity was investigated. Cytolytic cells generated in this way were 'homoclitic' in all cases, showing a preference for targets coupled with the homologous haptens (the immunogens).