Using a chemically homogeneous radiolabeled peptide of high specific activity (125I-QLSPYPFDL, 3.5 x 10(18) cpm per mole) we show that at a peptide concentration (5 pM) causing half-maximal lysis of target cells by a cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) clone that recognizes the peptide in association with Ld, a class I MHC protein, only 3 peptide molecules on average are bound by Ld per target cell. From the distribution of Ld on the target cells, we suggest that a single peptide-MHC complex per target cell can trigger activation of the T cell cytolytic response.

SUMMARY Cytolytic granule mediated killing of virus-infected cells is an essential function of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Analysis of lytic granule delivery shows that the granules can take long or short paths to the secretory domain where they are released. Both paths utilize the same intracellular molecular events, which have different spatial and temporal arrangements in each path and are regulated by the kinetics of downstream Ca2+ mediated signaling. Rapid and robust signaling causes swift granule concentration near the MTOC and subsequent delivery by the polarized MTOC directly to the secretory domain - the shortest and fastest path. Indolent signaling leads to late recruitment of granules that move along microtubules to the periphery of the synapse and then move tangentially to fuse at the outer edge of the secretory domain - a longer path. The short pathway is associated with faster granule release and more efficient killing than the long pathway.

Lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) interaction with intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAMs) facilitates T cell antigen receptor (TCR)-mediated killing. To dissect TCR and LFA-1 contributions, we evaluated cytolytic activity and granule release by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) as well as intracellular granule redistribution and morphology of CTL stimulated with natural TCR ligand in the presence or absence of LFA-1 engagement. Although other adhesion mechanisms, e.g., CD2-CD58 interaction, could substitute for LFA-1 to trigger CTL degranulation, productive LFA-1 ligation was indispensable for effective target cell lysis by the released granules. LFA-1-mediated adhesion to glass-supported bilayers containing intercellular adhesion molecule-1 was characterized by a much larger junction area, marked by LFA-1 segregation, and a more compact cell shape compared with those observed for CD2-mediated adhesion to bilayers containing CD58. A larger contact induced by intercellular adhesion molecule 1 determined a unique positioning of granules near the interface. These data provide evidence that LFA-1 delivers a distinct signal essential for directing released cytolytic granules to the surface of antigenbearing target cells to mediate the effective destruction of these cells by CTL.cytolytic granules ͉ immunological synapse ͉ T cell receptor K illing of virus-infected cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) is triggered by interactions of T cell antigen receptor (TCR) with viral peptides presented by MHC class I proteins on the surface of infected cells and can be mediated by cytotoxic granule exocytosis or FasL-Fas interaction (1, 2). This is a sensitive response often requiring less than a dozen cognate peptide-MHC [complex of antigenic peptide with MHC protein (pMHC)] complexes on the target cell (3, 4). Although productive TCR engagement is necessary and essential to induce CTL cytolytic activity, other accessory and costimulatory molecules are thought to play a role in mediating CTL degranulation and effective cytolytic activity of released granules. For example, both lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) and CD2 contribute to CTL adhesion and killing of target cells (5). Ligation of LFA-1 on CTL by high densities of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is sufficient to initiate large-scale molecular segregation and formation of peripheral supramolecular-activating cluster (6), which typically requires antigen for helper T cells (7,8) and CTL precursors (9). In contrast, ligation of CD2 with its natural ligand CD58 (5) mediates formation of a very small adhesion area by CTL (10). However, how specifically LFA-1, CD2, and other adhesion molecules mediate granuleinduced cytotoxicity has not been defined.Here we have investigated the role of productive LFA-1 engagement for antigen-induced granule release and target cell lysis in vitro as well as for granule polarization in CTL exposed to the glasssupported bilayer. We have found that, although blocking of LFA-1-ICAM-1 interaction abrogates ...

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