Characterization of interleukin 2-dependent cytotoxic T-cell clones. IV. Production of alpha, beta and gamma interferons and interleukin 2 by Lyt-2+ T cells

The production of alpha, beta and gamma interferons (IFN) and interleukin 2 (IL-2) by Lyt-2+-dependent cytotoxic T-cell lines/clones was investigated. Cloned and uncloned T-cell lines specific for H-2Dd or the unique RL male 1 leukemia antigen were studied. After infection with Sendai virus (SV) or Newcastle disease virus (NDV) all cell lines produced IFN-alpha and -beta. Induction of IFN-gamma was attempted with the mitogens Con A, PHA, PWM, SEA, and SEB, with poly(I:C), with antibodies Lyt-1.2, -2.2, and Thy-1.2, or with the target cells Meth A (H-2Dd+) and RL male 1. All mitogens were effective inducers. However, the antibodies and poly(I:C) were not. One uncloned RL male 1-specific cell line CTLL-RP, produced IFN-gamma after induction with RL male 1. Production of IFN-alpha, beta depended on IL-2, whereas production of IFN-gamma did not, although addition of highly purified IL-2 increased IFN-gamma production even in the absence of other inducers. Crude IL-2 inhibited the production of IFN-gamma but not IFN-alpha, beta. In response to mitogens, some T-cell clones also produced IL-2. The results demonstrate that Lyt-2+ cells can produce a broad spectrum of lymphokine activities after appropriate stimulation. Their availability now affords us the opportunity to study the regulation of lymphokine production at the clonal level.