title: The effect of leucyl-leucine methyl ester on proliferation and Ig secretion of EBV-transformed human B lymphocytes.
abstract: The selective cytotoxicity of the lysosomotropic methyl esters of leucine or its lysosomal condensation product leucyl-leucine has been used to investigate the effect of cytolytic cells on the clonal outgrowth, cellular proliferation and antibody secretion of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed human B cells. Large granular lymphocytes (LGL), monocytes, and a subset of T cells (CD8/CD11+) were permanently eliminated by the ester treatment. These lysosome-rich cells severely inhibit the clonal outgrowth of EBV-infected B cells, as determined by Poisson distribution calculations. Furthermore, leucyl-leucine methyl ester-treated and EBV-infected lymphocytes showed a significant increase in proliferative capability as well as immunoglobulin (Ig) production (three to 11 times) compared to non-treated but similarly infected lymphocytes. Since the effect of leucyl-leucine methyl ester treatment was also detectable in low-density (100 B cells/well) cultures, the suppression was unlikely to be exerted by EBV-specific T-cell clones, but pointed rather to the natural killer (NK) cells as effectors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Lund University, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohlin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Danielsson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Borrebaeck
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000378:metabolism; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; C045139:leucyl-leucine-methyl ester