The mechanism of interaction between T and B lymphocytes in the in vitro response to sheep erythrocytes. Non-specific collaboration across a dialysis membrane.
Purified T lymphocytes from normal mouse spleen restored the antibody-forming cell response to sheep erythrocytes of various B lymphocyte populations when separated from them by a cell-impermeable dialysis or nucleopore membrane. A 2-5-fold increase occurred when spleen cells from neonatally thymectomized mice or congenitally athymic mice, and an adherent spleen cell population were used as sources of B cells. Antigen was required in both T- and B-cell compartments, but a nonspecific reconstitution occurred when the antigens present in the two compartments were different. It is concluded that during the first 20 hours of culture, T lymphocytes produce a non-specific factor in response to antigen. Although the factor acts at a distance, it does not have a non-specific mitogenic effect upon all B lymphocytes. Some of its properties are similar to those of other reported T-cell factors and of the 'sheep erythrocyte reconstitution factor', found naturally in some batches of foetal calf serum.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D003956:Dialysis; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D051379:Mice / Q000276:immunology; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008819:Mice, Nude; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013934:Thymectomy; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000502:physiology
D003470:Culture Media; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D013936:Thymidine