Simultaneous immunoselection in vitro for H-Y or H-2D antigen-loss variants of a mouse-derived B cell line

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) specifically reactive with the male transplantation antigen (H-Y) were used to immunoselect in vitro for antigen loss among cells from an Abelson murine leukemia virus (AbMuLV) transformed lymphoblastoid cell line. Numerous variant cell clones were recovered that had lost expression of either H-Y or the restricting major histocompatibility class I molecule, H-2D. In all experiments, low-level γ-irradiation applied prior to immunoselection increased the frequency of antigen loss, but when different time intervals between mutagenesis and immunoselection were used, the proportion of H-Y to H-2D antigen loss was affected, suggesting that the antigens selected against remain on the surface of the cell for differing amounts of time following allele loss.