Quantitative relationship between T3 and the T-cell antigen receptor on a human leukaemic line

The T-cell antigen receptor complex consists of an idiotypic molecule, Ti, and T3. We have investigated the relationship between Ti and T3 on a leukaemic line HPB-ALL. This has shown that the two molecules are expressed on the cell surface in equal numbers, and that a similar stoichiometric relationship is seen on sublines of HPB-ALL selected for diminished expression of Ti. Furthermore, the degrees of modulation and rates of resynthesis of Ti and T3 following modulation were very similar, regardless of whether anti-Ti or anti-T3 was used to produce the modulation. This work strongly suggests that the expression of Ti and T3 are under common control.