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TY - JOUR AU - Reinherz, Ellis L. AU - Hussey, Rebecca E. AU - Fitzgerald, Kathleen AU - Snow, Peter AU - Terhorst, Cox AU - Schlossman, Stuart F. PY - 1981 DA - 1981/11/01 TI - Antibody directed at a surface structure inhibits cytolytic but not suppressor function of human T lymphocytes JO - Nature SP - 168 EP - 170 VL - 294 IS - 5837 AB - Experiments using conventional antisera1,2 and monoclonal antibodies3–5 have shown that there are two functionally distinct human T-cell subsets which express unique cell-surface glycoproteins6–9. The inducer population expresses a 62,000-molecular weight (Mr) antigen termed T4 (ref. 6) whereas the cytotoxic/suppressor population lacks T4 but expresses T5 antigen. This antigen is a 76,000-Mr molecule in nonreducing conditions and a 33,000-Mr glycoprotein occasionally appearing as a doublet in reducing conditions. As the functions of subset-specific T-cell surface glycoproteins have not been elucidated, we have now examined the effect on T-cell function of three monoclonal antibodies reactive with the cytotoxic/suppressor subset; anti-T8A antibody markedly inhibited cell-mediated lympholysis (CML) and anti-T8 partially affected CML, whereas anti-T5 had no effect. In contrast, there was no effect on suppressor cell function. Immunoprecipitation studies and competitive binding experiments indicated that anti-T8 and anti-T8A, like anti-T5, defined a 33,000-Mr antigen. Taken together, our results suggest that of a possible family of 33,000-Mr glycoproteins on the human cytotoxic/suppressor T-lymphocyte subset, that which is reactive with anti-T8A has some effect on the cytolytic mechanism. SN - 1476-4687 UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/294168a0 DO - 10.1038/294168a0 ID - Reinherz1981 ER -