title: The mitogenicity for murine splenocytes of specific surface components of the oral periodontopathic bacterium, Actinomyces viscosus.
abstract: Many characterized fractions obtained from A. viscosus were examined to identify the macromolecules responsible for mitogenicity for lymphocytes. Spleen-cell suspensions of CBA/J mice were cultured with 50-200 micrograms dry weight of A. viscosus strains T14V and T14AV cellular components. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (Escherichia coli) was used as a positive control. Mechanical disruption with a French pressure cell or sonication produced preparations with a stimulation of 69,082 and 45,183 counts above background (CAB), respectively. Mitogenic activity was also present in the culture supernatant (38,000 CAB). Other poorly mitogenic fractions included the peptidoglycan, cell-wall fractions, muramidase digests of cell walls, and the microcapsule extracted from whole cells with 0.5 M MgNO3. The results suggest that mitogenic activity is not associated with the isolated cell-wall structure. The activity was released from the cell surface by physical shearing forces, as well as released into the medium growth.
mesh_terms: D000190:Actinomyces / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D002458:Cell Fractionation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D008934:Mitogens