Requirements for CD28-dependent T cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Abstract Small, resting human peripheral blood T cells are able to mediate anti-CD3 redirected lysis against murine P815 cells transfected with human B7, a ligand of CD28. We demonstrate that cytotoxicity is mediated by preexisting cytotoxic effectors within the small, resting "memory" T cell population and by the de novo generation of additional CTL within both the "memory" and "virgin" T subsets. This conclusion is based on analysis of the kinetics of the response and the effects of metabolic inhibitors on the generation of CTL function. Memory CD45RO+ T cells demonstrated cytotoxicity within 4 h of coculture with anti-CD3 mAb and B7+ P815 cells and cytolysis was only partially prevented by inhibitors of protein synthesis. By contrast, virgin CD45RO- T cells demonstrated anti-CD3-induced lysis against B7+ P815 targets only after 6 or 8 h of coculture and cytotoxicity was completely prevented by inhibiting protein synthesis. Induction of cytotoxicity was B7 dependent in that parental P815 cells and P815 cells transfected with CD72 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, ligands for T cell-associated membrane receptors CD5 and very late activation antigen-4, respectively, did not initiate cytotoxicity. Our studies also revealed cooperation between the CD28/B7 and lymphocyte function-associated Ag-1/intercellular adhesion molecule-1 pathways in the generation of CTL from small, resting T cells. However, after CTL generation, the CD28-B7 interaction was not required for cytotoxic effector cell function. These observations may have important physiologic implications because this would permit activated CTL to lyse targets in vivo that do not express B7, after the CTL were generated by APC that do express B7 or possibly other costimulatory molecules.