Prolonged growth of activated B lymphocytes requires interaction with helper T cells.
Resting B lymphocytes acquire upon activation responsiveness to soluble factors that support their growth and differentiation. We have studied the growth requirements of anti-mu pre-activated B lymphocytes in vitro. We found that activated B lymphocytes did respond to soluble factors from helper T cells by entering the cell cycle but cell-cell contact with specific helper T cells was required for prolonged growth of activated B lymphocytes. Thus, activated B lymphocytes must receive activation signals from helper T cells in order to stay in the proliferative phase of the cell cycle.
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000276:immunology; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000276:immunology; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*