title: Differentiation of functionally active mouse T-lymphocytes from functionally inactive bone marrow precursors.
abstract: An investigation has been made of the development of various T cell functions in lethally irradiated mice reconstituted with anti-0 treated spleen or bone marrow cells. Evidence is presented to show that both organs contain a post-thymic precursor pool able to regenerate by 15 days limited T cell responses in thymectomized recipients. A prethymic pool also exists in each organ able to regenerate, at a later date, first a suppressor T cell population and probably later, mature functional T cells involved in helper functions and cell mediated lympholysis. The spleen is apparently a better source of precursors of the suppressor cells than bone marrow, while a poorer source of precursors of the other T cell functions. All T cell functions investigated apparently first appear in large cells which undergo a reversion to small cells without necessarily maturing to their full potential reactivity. By following the kinetics of appearance of T cell functions, and the physical parameters of the cells with which these functions are associated, it is shown that PHA responding and Con A responding cells, cytotoxic T cell progenitors, helper T cells for antibody production and helper T cells for cytotoxicity induction can all at some stage of differentiation be separated from one another.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D011830:Radiation Effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013934:Thymectomy; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum