CHARACTERIZATION OF A MURINE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM-DERIVED CELL-LINE- INFECTABILITY AND PRESENTATION OF VIRAL-ANTIGEN

The cerebral endothelial cell line, 33-Mse, was characterized for its MHC antigen expression, infectability with viruses and capacity to pre sent antigen to immune spleen cells. The cell line had interferon-gamm a inducible MHC antigen expression. Infection by Theiler's murine ence phalomyelitis influenced the expression of MHC molecules on the cell s urface of this line. These cells could not stimulate T splenocyte prol iferation or act as targets for Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis cyt olytic immune spleen cells. These cells were able to present viral ant igen to vaccinia virus immune spleen cells and act as targets for cyto toxic T cells from vaccinia virus immune mice.