The duration of TCR/pMHC interactions regulates CTL effector function and tumor-killing capacity

Effector CTL contribute to tumoral immunity by killing tumor cells through secretion of cytotoxic granules and cytokines. Activation of CTL requires specific recognition of cognate peptide-MHC-I (pMHC) complexes on the tumor cell surface by the CTL TCR. It has been suggested that the half-life (t(1/2)) of the TCR/pMHC interaction modulates the activation of naïve CD8(+) T cells; however, it remains unknown whether CTL effector function can also be regulated by the TCR/pMHC t(1/2). Here, we have studied CTL activity in response to tumor cells loaded with pMHC that bind the TCR with different t(1/2). We observed that the TCR/pMHC t(1/2) can differentially regulate CTL effector function during the interaction with tumor cells and defines the nature of anti-tumoral CTL responses in vivo. Although prolonged TCR/pMHC t(1/2) promoted only partial expression of cytotoxic molecules, short t(1/2) induced partial polarization of lytic machinery toward target cells. In contrast, intermediate TCR/pMHC t(1/2) induced strong expression of cytotoxic molecules, efficient polarization of lytic machinery and subsequent release of toxic granules by CTL that killed tumor cells. Consistently, efficient in vivo CTL-mediated tumor clearance was only observed for tumors expressing intermediate t(1/2) pMHC ligands. These data suggest that there is an optimal TCR/pMHC t(1/2) for efficient CTL activity.