A mechanism of the augmentation of antibody response in vitro by 2-mercaptoethanol: facilitation of cystine uptake in murine lymphocytes.
The mechanism of augmentation of antibody response in vitro by 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) was investigated. By employing cystine-free RPMI-1640 medium, it was demonstrated that cystine was absolutely required for eliciting the in vitro antibody response in murine lymphocytes. The augmentation by 2-ME was completely dependent on the presence of cystine. Maximal response was reached when cysteine or cystine (as half cystine) was added at 2.5 mM where 2-ME did not further enhanced the response. The serial feeding of cysteine, but not of cystine, amplified its potentiating activity at lower concentrations (less than or equal to 1 mM). The addition of 10(-5) M 2-ME to cystine shifted the dose-response curve to lower concentrations by about one order of magnitude. It was found that 35S-cystine was incorporated into lymphocytes one fifth more slowly than 35S-cysteine. Cystine uptake was accelerated by about 2.5-fold in the presence of 10(-5) M 2-ME. These data suggest that one of the roles of 2-ME in augmenting antibody response in vitro is to facilitate the uptake of cystine which is contained in RPMI-1640 medium and which is utilized less efficiently than cysteine.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003553:Cystine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008623:Mercaptoethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
D003553:Cystine; D008623:Mercaptoethanol