title: Constitutive production by the WEHI-3 cell line of B cell growth and differentiation factor that co-purifies with interleukin 1.
abstract: The myelomonocytic cell line WEHI-3 produces constitutively a factor that affects the growth and differentiation of murine B cells in culture. This cell line also secretes colony-stimulating factors (CSF), interleukin 1 (IL 1) but not interleukin 2. Sequential purification through AcA54 gel filtration, DEAE-Sephacel ion exchange chromatography, and buffer electrofocussing clearly resolved the B cell growth and differentiation factor (BGDF) from the CSF activities but failed to separate BGDF from IL 1. The WEHI-3-derived material responsible for BGDF/IL 1 activity, however, exhibited different behavior on DEAE chromatography (elution at 175 mM NaCl) to that reported for IL 1 from the P388D1 cell line (elution at 50 mM NaCl). B cell growth and differentiation could be induced by WEHI-3 BGDF/IL 1 in cultures of normal spleen cells depleted of T cells and adherent cells but not in cultures of spleen cells from B cell-deficient CBA/N mice, even though thymocytes from such mice displayed a normal response to IL 1. Significant B cell proliferation induced by BGDF/IL 1 was apparent only in the presence of submitogenic concentrations of anti-mouse IgM antibodies, but under these conditions few antibody-forming cells (AFC) were generated. In contrast, B cell differentiation to AFC occurred in the presence of the factor alone, and this response was inhibited by anti-IgM. Thus there appeared to be a reciprocal relationship between B cell proliferation and differentiation induced by BGDF/IL 1. The significance of these results is discussed in the light of other recent studies of BGDF.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015847:Interleukin-4