Enhancement of T-cell response to PWM by neuraminidase-treated non-T cells.
The effect of neuraminidase (from Cl. perfringens, CPN) on the human lymphocyte response to pokeweed mitogen (PWM) was studied. CPN treatment greatly increased [3H]-thymidine incorporation by human lymphocytes at lower concentrations of PWM. This enzyme acted specifically on T-cell proliferation and had no direct effect on non-T-cell proliferation. When CPN-treated non-T cells were added to autologous T cells, [3H]-thymidine incorporation was markedly enhanced at lower concentrations of PWM. However, the addition of T cells pre-treated with mitomycin C (MMC) to CPN-treated non-T cells failed to increase [3H]-thymidine incorporation in contrast to the controls. MMC-blocked, CPN-treated non-T cells significantly enhanced T-cell proliferation, whereas the effect of MMC-blocked, CPN-treated adherent cells was equal to that of the controls. These data indicate that cell-surface properties of non-T cells other  than monocytes affect T-cell proliferation in some situations.
D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000494:pharmacology; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism
D008937:Mitomycins; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D009439:Neuraminidase; D013936:Thymidine