INVOLVEMENT OF PEPTIDE ANTIGENS IN THE CYTOTOXICITY BETWEEN 70-KDA HEAT-SHOCK COGNATE PROTEIN-LIKE MOLECULE AND CD3-, CD8-, TCR-ALPHA-BETA(-) KILLER T-CELLS(, CD4)

We previously reported that the 70-kDa heat shock cognate protein-like molecule (hsc70) is expressed on the cell surface along with the neop lastic transformation of rat fibroblast and that this molecule is reco gnized by CD3(+), CD4(-), CD8(-), NKR-P1(-), and TCR-alpha beta(-) T ( DNT) killer cells in an MHC class I-unrestricted fashion. We investiga ted the mechanism of interaction between hsc70 and DNT cells, H-ras on cogene-transformed rat fibrosarcoma W31 cells expressed hsc70 on the c ell surface in almost the same density when the cells were growing in a conventional 5% FCS (5%W31) as when the cell growth was inhibited in the cultivation with 1% FCS (1%W31), However, DNT cells lysed only 5% W31, but not 1%W31, Since these observations suggest that certain pept ide Ags of the fast growing W31 cells may play a role in the interacti on between hsc70 and DNT cells, we pulsed 1%W31 cells with trifluoroac etic acid (TFA)-extracted fast growing W31 tumor Ags of less than 3000 Da in molecular size, We also pulsed 1%W31 with TFA-extracted Ags fro m moderate growing W14 tumors and whole fetus tissues, Our data indica ted that DNT cells were clearly cytotoxic to 1%W31 pulsed only with TF A-extracted Ags from W31 tumors, Anti-rat hsc70 mAb completely blocked this cytotoxicity, In addition, pronase K treatment of Ags clearly in hibited the cytotoxicity by DNT cells. Taken together, these data sugg est that the complex of peptide Ag and hsc70 is involved in the cytoto xic mechanism between hsc70 and DNT cells.