Chitin: an immunological adjuvant and a polyclonal B-lymphocyte activator.
Chitin, a linear beta 1-4 linked poly-N-acetylglucosamine, enhanced the in vivo immune response of normal mice to sheep red blood cells, but not that of mice with thymic aplasia (nude mice). The compound is mitogenic for murine B lymphocytes but not for thymocytes or splenic T lymphocytes. Similarly to well-known polyclonal B-lymphocyte activators; e.g. lipopolysaccharide, chitin induces differentiation of B lymphocytes into antibody-forming cells in vitro.
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002686:Chitin / Q000276:immunology*; D007109:Immunity; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D008934:Mitogens; D002686:Chitin