Enhancement of mast cell differentiation in vitro by T cell factor(s).
Mast cell colonies were obtained when lymph node cells of horse serum-immunized Balb/c mice were cultured in a horse serum-containing medium on embryonic fibroblast monolayer. In order to characterized precursors of mast cells, mesenteric lymph node cells from the immunized mice were fractionated to obtain nonadherent cells, a B cell-depleted fraction and a T cell-depleted fraction; and each fraction was cultured on fibroblast monolayer. Mast cell colonies developed from nonadherent cells and from the B cell-depleted fraction but not from the T cell-depleted fraction. However, cultures of the same T cell-depleted fraction developed mast cell colonies if cell-free supernatant obtained from culture of horse serum-primed T cells was added. Soluble factors promoting mast cell growth were not obtained when the same T cells were incubated in horse serum-free medium. It appears that the majority of mast cell precursors in the lymph nodes are nonadherent cells and bear neither immunoglobulin nor Thy 1 antigen. The results also suggested that soluble factor(s) released from antigen-stimulated T cells enhanced the differentiation of the precursors to mature mast cells.
D000818:Animals; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007106:Immune Sera; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D007106:Immune Sera; D007073:Immunoglobulin E