Heterotypic adhesion of T lymphocytes to monocytes, B lymphocytes, or other target cells is mainly mediated by LFA-1 and CD 2 molecules. Low-affinity binding of restingTcells can be transiently up-regulated by cross-linking of CD3. We have previously found that binding of specific ligands to CD4 can down-regulate adhesion of resting T cells to B cells. We now show that the enhanced adhesiveness of CD4+ T cells induced by CD3 cross-linking using plastic-bound anti-CD3 antibody can also be inhibited by several CD4 ligands, i.e. anti-CD4 antibodies, the gpl60 env protein of human immunodeficiency virus, as well as by putative CD4 ligands, i.e. synthetic peptides analogous to the gp 160-binding site to CD4 (positions 418-434 and 449-464) and a 12-mer synthetic peptide (DR-12) analogous to positions 35-46 of HLA class II |3 subunit and including the highly conserved Arg-Phe-Asp-Ser (RFDS) sequence» After CD3 cross-linking, maximal binding of Tcells to HLA class II-positive and -negative B cells was similar, although binding to HLA class II-negative B cells was more prolonged.Tcells that were passively induced to up-regulate adhesion by binding of a CD 1 la-specific antibody, NKIL16, known to enhance LFA-1-dependent adhesiveness, were less sensitive to the inhibitory effect of the DR-12 peptide, whereas the inhibitory effects of gpl60 were preserved. The kinetics of adhesion of NKIL16-pretreated T cells was not influenced by LILA class II expression at the B cell surface. Together, these results strongly suggest that CD4-HLA class II interaction may down-regulate low-affinity adhesion of resting T cells and, to some extent, high-affinity adhesion of T cells actively induced by CD3 cross-linking but not passively induced by an anti-CD 11a antibody 1 Introduction