Rats were immunized with guinea pig T lymphocytes and the spleen cells were fused with cells of a mouse myeloma line. The resulting hybrids were screened for the production of antibodies selectively reacting with guinea pig T cells. The monoclonal antibody (MoAb) H159 was analysed in detail because it bound to T lymphocytes, but not to B lymphocytes or macrophages. Cellular ELISA, cytofluorometry and immunohistology revealed that the antigen detected by H159 is selectively expressed on the majority of peripheral mature T lymphocytes (about 95%). In contrast, it stained only a minor population of thymocytes in FACS analysis. H159 precipitated from NP40 lysate of T cells a protein with a molecular weight of about 90 kDa when separated under non-reducing conditions in SDS-PAGE. Under reducing conditions bands with molecular weights of about 50 kDa were found. After binding to anti-rat Ig coated beads, the MoAb H159 had a mitogenic effect for guinea pig T lymphocytes whereas soluble MoAb H159 in the presence or absence of macrophages was not mitogenic. The cellular expression and molecular characteristics of the H159 antigen together with the mitogenic activity of the antibody for T cells indicate that the MoAb H159 recognizes the guinea pig T-cell receptor for antigen via a constant region determinant.