Lack of adenosine deaminase activity in cultured murine cytotoxic T lymphocytes

The level of adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity was investigated in various populations of IL 2-dependent, cultured cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), from bulk cultures as well as from CTL lines (CTL-A and CTL-B types). The study of C57BL/6 derived, cytotoxic bulk cultures yielded the following mean values of ADA activity: 12,500 U/mg in the cortical, immature region of the thymus, 1500 U/mg in the immunocompetent, cortisone-resistant medullary thymocytes, and 2000 U/mg in the T cell population from the spleen. These results are in agreement with previous studies on separated T lymphocyte populations of known origin and further indicate that a fall in ADA activity accompanies T cell maturation. ADA activity was measured in C57BL/6-derived CTL-A lines obtained from the thymic and splenic bulk cultures. All lines were characterized by a very low level of ADA activity, compared with the T cell bulk cultures freshly initiated from the thymic medulla or from the spleen, and to a variety of T tumor lines established in long term culture. Some showed undetectable ADA activity (less than or equal to 20 units/mg), whereas others maintained significant activity (50 to 500 U/mg). No correlation was found between the residual ADA activity level and the killing activity, at the time of the enzyme assay. Identical properties were observed for CTL-B cloned lines of various genetic backgrounds. These results suggest that the level of ADA activity of the CTL in the mouse is lower than the average value of mature T cells of the thymic medulla, and might constitute a differentiation marker specific to the CTL population. A possibility remains that low ADA activity levels in these CTL lines may be the consequence of an extinction of the ADA gene during in vitro growth, as it is observed for the cytotoxic activity itself. In either case, a low ADA activity level is a remarkable property of IL 2-dependent CTL clones, when compared to various established T tumor lines, which exhibit high and stable ADA levels during long term in vitro growth (5000 to 15,000 U/mg).