Distribution of MEL-14+ cells in various lymphoid tissues.
The distribution of MEL-14+ lymphocytes was investigated by both fluorocytometric analysis and complement-dependent-cellular-cytotoxicity (CDCC) tests in which rabbit anti-rat Ig was added with complement at a secondary step. When CDCC was employed to detect MEL-14+ cells, almost half of the thymocytes were found to be MEL-14+ in various strains of mice. This high proportion of MEL-14+ cells stands in striking contrast to prior reports. Furthermore, when determined by fluorocytometric analysis, MEL-14+ cells were found to comprise more than 80% of the cells in the thymus. The MEL-14+ thymocytes comprised both immature subsets (CD4-8-, CD4+8+) and mature subsets (CD+8-, CD4-8+). MEL-14 brightly positive (MEL-14high) cells, however, were located mainly in mature T cell subpopulations within the thymus. The MEL-14high thymocytes appeared to be susceptible to the CDCC method. Most of MEL-14+ cells present in spleens and lymph nodes were shown to be included in the MEL-14high population. The MEL-14+ cells susceptible to treatment with MEL-14, rabbit anti-rat Ig plus complement in the spleen and lymph node were restricted to cells of the T-lineage. These data suggest that T cells may change from cells with low expression of the MEL-14 antigens at their surface to cells with high MEL-14 antigens in the process of differentiation. Furthermore, these findings indicate that MEL-14 molecules may be used as a surface marker to characterize an important T cell subpopulation.
Iwabuchi
K
K
Section of Pathology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Ohgama
J
J
Ogasawara
K
K
Iwabuchi
C
C
Negishi
I
I
Good
R A
RA
Onoé
K
K
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens