Phenotypic and functional effects of the motheaten gene on murine B and T lymphocytes.
Lymphoid cells from C57BL/6 mice homozygous for the me gene exhibit multiple phenotypic and functional abnormalities from early as one week of age. In the B cell population these include a reduction in the frequency of detectable surface Ig+ cells, alterations in the level of expression of surface IgM and IgD, an increase in the frequency of large cells, plasma cells and TNP-specific plaque forming cePS. Together these findings provide strong evidence for polyclonal activation of B cells. The high level of expression of xenotropic MuLV gp70 by me/me spleen and lymph node cells provides further evidence for lymphoid cell activation. In preliminary studies, me/me T cells appeared to be phenotypically and functionally less affected by the me gene. The distribution of Thy 1.2 on the surface of spleen and lymph node T cells varied from low to normal and the mitogenic responses to Con A and PHA were depressed. It remains to be determined what the basic deficiency in me/me mice is and whether it affects primarily B cells or all lymphoid cells.
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005470:Fluorometry; D005796:Genes; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008805:Mice, Inbred A; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008814:Mice, Inbred NZB; D010641:Phenotype; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000276:immunology; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology
D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell