Expression of c-kit by mesenteric lymph node cells from Nippostrongylus brasiliensis-infected mice and by mast cell colonies developing from these cells in response to 3T3 fibroblast-conditioned medium.
Mast cell committed progenitors are nongranulated cells found in mesenteric lymph nodes of mice infected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (Nb-MLN) but not from normal mice. Mast cell committed progenitors can respond to either IL-3 or to a factor(s) present in 3T3 fibroblast conditioned media (F-CM) by formation of mast cell colonies. Previous studies from ours and other laboratories suggested that mast cell differentiation involved the W allele product, c-kit, as a receptor and Sl allele product, stem cell factor, as a growth factor. We report here that Nb-MLN cells, which can respond to F-CM by mast cell colony formation, also contain cells that express message for c-kit, and that c-kit message cannot be detected in naive mesenteric lymph node cells, which cannot respond to F-CM. Antisense oligonucleotides to c-kit inhibit mast cell colony formation by Nb-MLN cells in response to F-CM, but not to conditioned medium of PWM-stimulated spleen cells as a source of IL-3. The antisense oligonucleotides also inhibit the degree of granulation by mast cells derived from culture. The results suggest that c-kit and its ligand, stem cell factor, are necessary for mast cell-committed progenitors to proliferate and granulate in response to F-CM but not IL-3.
Leftwich
J A
JA
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298.
Westin
E H
EH
Huff
T F
TF
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000378:metabolism; D009559:Nippostrongylus; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis; D019089:Stem Cell Factor
D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors; D007377:Interleukin-3; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D012313:RNA; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit