%0 Journal Article %A Kesson, Alison M. %A Blanden, Robert V. %A Mullbacher, Arno %T The Primary in vivo Murine Cytotoxic T Cell Response to the Flavivirus, West Nile %D 1987 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 68 %N 7 %P 2001-2006 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-68-7-2001 %K West Nile virus %K flavivirus %K T cell response %I Microbiology Society, %X SUMMARY A protocol for obtaining cytotoxic T cell responses to the flavivirus West Nile (WNV) has been developed in vivo. CBA/H (H-2k) mice were immunized with 106 p.f.u. WNV intravenously and their spleen cells used directly in cytotoxic assays. This method reliably produced WNV-immune Tc cells which showed WNV-specific cytotoxic activity on infected L929 (H-2k) target cells. There was inadequate lysis of infected targets by WNV-immune spleen cells when the m.o.i. was less than 100 p.f.u. WNV, or when tertiary mouse embryo fibroblasts, resident peritoneal macrophages or thioglycollate-induced peritoneal macrophages were used as targets. Only L929 cells infected for 16 h with WNV at a m.o.i. of 100 were suitable targets. Cytotoxic activity against WNV-infected target cells was first detected 4 days after immunization, peaked on day 5 and declined rapidly after day 7. An immunizing dose of 103 p.f.u. of WNV was adequate for significant cytotoxicity to be detected; however, the cytotoxic response increased with increasing immunizing doses to plateau levels when 106 p.f.u. WNV were used. The cells responsible for lytic activity were H-2-restricted, Thy-1+, Lyt-2+, L3T4- and virus-specific with respect to WNV and influenza virus. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-68-7-2001