The relative contribution of individual non-H-2 Ag and of T cell subsets that initiate graft-vs-host reaction (GVHR) as well as the mechanism responsible for histopathologic lesions are still a matter of debate. To address these questions and to favor the selection of T cells primed in vivo against non-H-2 Ag important in GVHR we derived T cell clones from spleens of (DBA/2 x B10.D2)F1 (H-2d) mice developing this reaction after the graft of B10.D2 (H-2d) cells incompatible for numerous non-H-2 Ag plus Mlsa. The pattern of reactivity of eight selected clones against cells from different strains of mice including (BXD)RI strains indicated that one CD4+ clone is specific for Mlsa and seven additional clones (six CD4+ and one CD8+) are specific for four different non-H-2 Ag (Ag.I-IV) and proliferate in an H-2-restricted manner. The same series of experiments suggested that Ag.I and II are poorly polymorphic and allowed to propose the localisation of the genes controlling Ag.I (chromosome 1) and Ag.III (chromosome 4). All the clones show a triple (alpha, beta, gamma) mRNA transcript for TCR but at their surface they express the alpha/beta-heterodimer. The clone specific for Mlsa expresses V beta 6 and that specific for Ag.IV expresses V beta 8.1. Rapid mortality accompanied by clinical and histologic signs of severe GVHR was observed after administration of CD4+ clones (together with host-syngeneic bone marrow) derived early after grafting and specific for Ag.I and II but not after administration of: 1) CD8+ cytolytic clone derived early after grafting and specific for Ag.IV; 2) CD4+ clones derived late after grafting and specific for Ag.III; and 3) CD4+ clone specific for Mlsa. A clear correlation was established between the capacity of CD4+ clones to induce GVHR mortality, to mediate host-specific DTH and to release a high level of TNF. In conclusion: 1) the reaction against a single non-H-2 Ag is sufficient to provoke lethal GVHR; 2) the capacity to provoke GVHR mortality depends on antigenic specificity and functional properties of the responding clones; 3) the inflammatory process mediated by CD4+ clones may play a major role whereas the specific CD8+ T cell-mediated cytolytic activity is not necessarily lethal.