Activation of murine B lymphocytes by Neisseria meningitidis and isolated meningococcal surface antigens.
Heat-killed Neisseria meningitidis was found to be a potent mitogen for mouse splenic lymphocytes. Results obtained with different cell separation techniques indicated that the bacteria acted to selectively induce proliferation of B lymphocytes. First, partial or total depletion of T lymphocytes by treatment with various anti-T-cell antisera plus complement did not affect the ability of the remaining spleen cells to proliferate in response to N. meningitidis. Second, T lymphocytes purified by affinity chromatography through an immunoglobulin-antiimmunoglobulin-coated glass bead column were unresponsive to meningococcal stimulation, even when provided with a source of macrophages (irradiated or mitomycin C-treated spleen cells). Finally, treatment of spleen cells with soy bean agglutinin showed that, whereas the soy bean agglutinin-positive population (B-enriched lymphocytes) was highly responsive to stimulation by N. meningitidis, the soy bean agglutinin-negative population (T-enriched lymphocytes) displayed only a background level of proliferation when exposed to the bacteria. Isolated meningococcal surface antigens such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and outer membranes also possessed mitogenic activity and induced proliferation of B lymphocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Both LPS and non-LPS components contributed to the mitogenicity of outer membranes since the addition of outer membrane preparations to spleen cells from the low LPS responder C3H/HeJ mouse strain gave rise to a high level of proliferative activity.
D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008934:Mitogens; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008934:Mitogens