PROTECTION AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS BY PASSIVE TRANSFER WITH T-CELL CLONES RECOGNIZING MYCOBACTERIAL HEAT-SHOCK PROTEIN-65

We have previously shown that mice vaccinated by injection with J774 m acrophage-like tumour cells that expressed Mycobacterium leprae heat-s hock protein (hsp) 65 as a transgene had acquired a remarkably high de gree of protection against subsequent challenge with virulent M. tuber culosis. We show here that antigen-specific T cells cloned from spleen s of such vaccinated animals can transfer a high level of protection t o non-vaccinated recipients. The most efficient cells were of T-cell r eceptor (TCR)alpha beta(+) and CD4(-) CD8(+) type and specifically lys ed mycobacteria-infected macrophages. These findings are consistent wi th the importance for protective immunity of engaging the endogenous a ntigen-presenting pathway to bias the immune response towards a cytoly tic action against a mycobacterial antigen that is expressed at the su rface of infected macrophages. TCR gamma delta(+) and TCR alpha beta() cells interacted synergistically.