title: Direct staining of mouse T lymphoblasts with fluoresceinated Vicia villosa lectin.
abstract: Fluorescein conjugated Vicia villosa (Vv) lectin was used for direct staining of the surface of viable cells of various mouse lymphocyte populations. A varying proportion of polyclonally-activated T cells expressed Vv receptor although less strongly than cells of an influenza virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clone and blasts generated in the mixed lymphocyte reaction. Cyclosporin A (CyA) treatment markedly reduced the expression of Vv receptor following concanavalin A (Con A) stimulation by between 66% and 93% with a concurrent inhibition of blastogenesis and complete abrogation of cytolytic function. Resting mouse lymphocytes and B-cell blasts were always Vv-negative. However, non-specific suppressor factor producing non-cytotoxic T-cell lines also expressed Vv receptor as shown by the weak, but specific, surface fluorescence of EL4 and BW5147 cells stained with Vv. Vv-positive cells were not restricted to a particular Ly phenotype, Vv-positive cells being found among both Lyt 1+ and Lyt2+ MLC stimulated lymphocytes. Our data suggest that the receptor for Vv lectin cannot be regarded as an exclusive differential marker for CTL.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000494:pharmacology; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate; D005452:Fluoresceins; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen / Q000187:drug effects; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D013861:Thiocyanates
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins; D005452:Fluoresceins; D037102:Lectins; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen; D013861:Thiocyanates; D003208:Concanavalin A; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate