title: Thymosin beta 4 induced phenotypic changes in Molt-4 leukemic cell line.
abstract: Thymosin beta 4 was tested for its ability to induce phenotypic changes in the human T-cell line Molt-4. Cells were cultured with nanogram concentrations of thymosin beta 4 for up to 16 days and were analyzed with a panel of monoclonal antibodies, sheep erythrocyte rosetting, peanut agglutinin binding (PNA) and an antibody to the enzyme, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT). Thymosin beta 4 induced Molt-4 cells to reduce the expression of a T-cell lineage specific antigen, with preferential expression on T blast-cells, detected by WT 1 monoclonal antibody. Thymosin beta 4 also induced an increase in sheep erythrocyte rosettes and PNA binding as well as an increased expression of OKT 11 A and OKT 8 in Molt-4 cells. TdT was found to be unchanged, however. Analysis of thymosin beta 4-treated cells with other monoclonal antibodies (OKT 3, OKT 6, OKT 9) showed no change when compared to controls. These results showed that thymosin beta 4 is capable of inducing phenotypic changes in Molt-4 cells. Such changes may represent a differentiation process of these cells through the early stages of the maturation process of thymus-dependent lymphocytes, albeit not to the stage of mature T cells.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kokkinopoulos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papamichail
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D013947:Thymosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000099201:Thymosin beta(4)
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D004247:DNA; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases; D013947:Thymosin; D000099201:Thymosin beta(4)