title: Staphylococcal enterotoxin induced mitogenesis: toxin binding and cell-cell interactions.
abstract: The binding characteristics of 125I-labelled staphylococcal enterotoxin A (125I-SEA), a T-cell mitogen, to murine lymphoid cell subpopulations were analyzed. Both T- and B-lymphocytes from murine spleens possess specific binding sites for SEA, as do T-lymphocytes from thymus. B-lymphocytes appear to have a greater capacity for binding of 125-SEA than do T-lymphocytes from either thymus or spleen. Enterotoxin did not specifically bind to thioglycollate-induced peritoneal exudate cells (PECs), used as a source of macrophages. Adherent PECs however, incorporated 125-ISEA by fluid phase endocytosis. When exposed to SEA and thoroughly washed, macrophages stimulate lymphocyte mitogenesis in spleen or thymus cell cultures not directly exposed to toxin. Maximum mitogenic stimulation took place only when both PECs and lymphocytes were exposed to SEA. The presence of splenic B-lymphocytes enhanced the mitogenic response of thymus derived T-cells to SEA. Thus, B-lymphocytes appear to contribute to SEA mitogenesis. These data suggest that mitogenic stimulation and possibly other immunological phenomena associated with SEA occur as a result of complex interactions between cellular components of the immune system.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D001665:Binding Sites; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004768:Enterotoxins; C026066:enterotoxin A, Staphylococcal