Bcl-2 transfection protects Hut78 cell line from different types of cytotoxic effector cells

The human T lymphoma cell line Hut78 was transfected with Bel-2 gene or with control G418 Neomycin resistance-conferring plasmid. Bcl-2 transfected and Neomycin selected Hut78 cells expressed about ten-fold greater Bcl-2 protein than the neo-transfected controls. Susceptibility of Bcl-2-transfected Hut78 cells to human NK cells, human mixed lymphocyte reaction-generated cytotoxic effector cells, and mouse cytotoxic spleen cells generated by immunization with Hut78 cells was examined. In all systems tested, Bcl-2-transfected Hut78 target cells were significantly less susceptible to lysis than the neo-transfected control target cells. These results suggest that in Hut78 cells, Bcl-2 gene product may confer partial resistance to different types of cytotoxic effector mechanisms.