Selective inhibition of T suppressor-cell function by a monosaccharide.
Interactions between regulatory T lymphocytes and other cells are assumed to occur at the level of the cell surface. T cells which suppress the generation of specifically effector cells have been described as having antigenic, idiotypic, allotypic and I-region specificity. Other T suppressor cells generated by in vitro cultivation with or without mitogenic stimulation have suppressive activity for T and B cells but no specificity can be assigned to them. These T suppressor cells (Ts) inhibit various lymphoid functions-this either reflects their polyclonal origin or indicates that the structures recognized by the Ts receptors must be common for many cell types. Carbohydrates on cell membrane-inserted glycoproteins or glycolipids might function as specific ligands for recognition by cellular receptors or soluble factors. Almost all cell-surface proteins of mammalian cells are glycosylated. There is evidence for lectin-like carbohydrate binding proteins not only in plants but also in toxins, viruses, prokaryotic cells and even mammalian cells, including T cells. A functional role for these lectin-like proteins has been described for slime moulds and suggested for the selective association of embryonic cells. We report here that addition of a monosaccharide can counteract the effect of T suppressor cells during the generation of alloreactive cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) in vitro.
D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008766:Methylmannosides / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects*
D008766:Methylmannosides; D009005:Monosaccharides