O-acetyl GD3 ganglioside in human peripheral blood T lymphocytes.
O-acetyl GD3 ganglioside is a cell surface molecule of some neural, neural crest and renal cells. Here we show, by using mAbs specific for O-acetyl GD3 (clone 27A) and flow-cytometric, biochemical or immunological techniques, that it is also expressed at high intensity level on the surface of 49.6% (median) of the CD3+ cells (T lymphocytes), at medium level in 16.2% of the CD16+ (natural killer) cells, at very low level in 51.9% of CD14+ cells (monocytes) and in 6.9% of CD20+ cells (B lymphocytes), but not in other human blood cells. Of the CD4+ or CD8+ cells, 52.6 or 36.5% respectively were 27A+. Furthermore, 81.6% of the CD45RO+ lymphocytes carried the O-acetyl GD3 ganglioside. It was not detected in the thymus, although its immediate precursor, the GD3 ganglioside, was present in the medullary thymocytes, suggesting that O-acetyltransferases are regulated by maturation events taking place in the periphery. The anti-O-acetyl GD3 antibodies induced a strong mitogenic response in cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells, but not in purified T cells. However, in combination with phorbol myristate acetate the antibodies induced proliferation also in purified T cells, suggesting that protein kinase C priming is needed for this effect. This and the restricted expression of O-acetyl GD3 suggest a functional role for this ganglioside in T cell subpopulations.
Reivinen
J
J
Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Holthöfer
H
H
Miettinen
A
A
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009000:Monocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000737:chemistry; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D005732:Gangliosides; C026226:ganglioside, GD3; D011493:Protein Kinase C