The human LT system. XII. Purification and functional studies of LT and "TNF-like" LT forms from a continuous human T cell line.

A clone of the continuous human T cell line HUT-102, termed YM 1.2, can spontaneously release alpha-LT in vitro. However, when stimulated with phorbol myristic acetate, these cells release other LT forms. These LT forms were purified to homogeneity by DEAE chromatography, column isoelectric focusing, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. One LT form, termed LT-2, is a 79,000 m.w. component in aqueous solution and composed of 21,000 m.w. subunits. This form is immunologically related to macrophage-derived TNF and has a lytic capacity in vitro on K-562, Molt-4F, and Raji cells similar to that described for cytotoxins derived from NK effector cells, termed NK-CF. A second LT form, termed LT-3, is a single 69,000 m.w. peptide which could not be reduced into the smaller subunits. This form expresses antigens in common with both alpha-LT and TNF, because both anti-LT and anti-TNF were required to completely neutralize cell lytic activity in vitro. Functional testing revealed that the LT-3 form is lytic on all continuous cells tested in vitro, including NK-resistant target cells. The LT-3 component appears similar by immunologic, biochemical, and functional criteria to the LT form derived from primary human cytolytic T cells in vitro. At the levels tested, none of these LT-TNF forms had measurable effects on primary fibroblasts in vitro.