title: Characterization of a human basophil-like cell promoting activity.
abstract: Biologic and biochemical properties of a human basophil-like cell promoting activity (BaPA), which induces growth of metachromatically staining cells from normal bone marrow cells in a liquid culture system have been examined. In order to study this T cell factor, an assay was developed based on the intracellular histamine content of the cultured human bone marrow cells. Many lymphokines, including granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, interleukin 1 alpha and 1 beta, interleukin 2, and interferon-alpha and gamma, did not exhibit any significant activity in the assay. By employing this assay, BaPA was purified approximately 500-fold from lectin-stimulated spleen cell-conditioned medium. BaPA has a molecular weight of 23,000 on high performance liquid chromatography gel filtration and displays isoelectric points between 5.8 and 7.3. It is heat stable up to 80 degrees C for 30 min and resistant to 6 M guanidine hydrochloride, whereas it is rather sensitive to sulfhydryl reagents. BaPA has no stimulating activity on mouse bone marrow cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Immunology, University of Bern, Inselspital, Switzerland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: De Weck
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Stadler
mesh_terms: D001491:Basophils / Q000502:physiology*; D001681:Biological Assay; D002845:Chromatography; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006146:Guanidines; D006632:Histamine / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007526:Isoelectric Point; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D008970:Molecular Weight; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D006146:Guanidines; D008222:Lymphokines; D006632:Histamine