The role of accessory cells in polyclonal T cell activation. III. No requirement for recognition of H-2-encoded antigens on accessory cells.
Highly purified murine lymph node T cells were used to test the hypothesis that polyclonal T cell activation requires the recognition of mitogen-modified major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens on accessory cells (AC) by the T cells. A variety of tumor cells lines, including macrophage, B and mast cell tumors, as well as thymomas, were shown to function as AC in concanavalin A-induced T cell activation, even if they expressed only one class of MHC antigens or none at all. In contrast to antigen-specific responses, where the Lyt-2+ phenotype is reportedly associated with recognition of class I MHC antigens, T cells enriched for or depleted of Lyt-2+ cells were not preferentially activated in the presence of class I- or class II-positive AC, respectively. In addition, as shown by others in the guinea pig and in the rat systems, T cell proliferation induced by oxidation of cell surface sugars is equally effective if T cells or AC are oxidized. T cell mitogens, therefore, do not seem to act by altering MHC antigens on AC, but rather by providing T cell-AC contact via their agglutinating properties.
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002450:Cell Communication; D002460:Cell Line; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005692:Galactose Oxidase / Q000494:pharmacology; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D012515:Mast-Cell Sarcoma / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000494:pharmacology; D010641:Phenotype; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*
D006183:H-2 Antigens; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; D003208:Concanavalin A; D005692:Galactose Oxidase; D009439:Neuraminidase