Ultrastructural change of the thymocyte surface after treatment with specific antibodies. A rapid-freezing and deep-etching study.
A specific surface change of mouse thymocytes induced by treatment with anti-Thy-1 antibody was ultrastructurally demonstrated by a rapid-freezing and deep-etching technique. Round elevations, 30 nm in diameter, were found on the exoplasmic surface (ES) face of the cell membrane of BALB/c mouse thymocytes (expressing Thy-1.2 on the cell surface) after treatment with non-labelled monoclonal anti-Thy-1.2 antibody, whereas the ES face without the treatment gave a smooth appearance. Immunological studies indicated that the elevation was induced by the specific antigen-antibody reaction. Further, the elevation was demonstrated to be located at the site of antigen-antibody reaction by the results of the protein A-gold test. It was also supported by the fact that the elevations showed cluster formations under capping conditions. Accordingly, the elevations were assumed to be antibody molecules or antigen-antibody complexes.
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002469:Cell Separation; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D006046:Gold; D007152:Immunologic Capping; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007518:Isoantibodies; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007518:Isoantibodies; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; C035678:anti-Thy antibody; D006046:Gold