The bacterial superantigen Staphylococcal enterotoxin B stimulates lymphocyte locomotor capacity during culture in vitro.
The bacterial superantigen Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) was investigated for its effects on lymphocyte locomotion in vitro. Culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) for 24-72 hr in SEB (1-100 micrograms/ml) increased the proportion of lymphocytes in locomotor (polarized) morphology and capable of invading collagen gels, to the same extent as the established locomotor activator, anti-CD3 (alpha-CD3), though the conventional antigen, tetanus toxoid was ineffective. The cells responding to SEB were predominantly T cells. SEB had no effect on lymphocyte locomotion in short-term (45 min) assays, thus its effect is to stimulate growth-related locomotor capacity and it does not act as a chemoattractant. During culture of PBMC in SEB, the chemokines interleukin-8 (IL-8) and macrophage chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) were released into the culture medium. The presence of anti-IL-8, but not of anti-MCP-1, either during culture or added to SEB culture supernatants and tested in short-term assays, inhibited the development of polarization suggesting that IL-8, which is a lymphocyte chemoattractant, also plays a key role in SEB-induced locomotor activation. Among SEB-activated lymphocytes, CD45RO+CD45RA- lymphocytes showed enhanced locomotor responses, but a relation was not found between locomotor activity and the presence of cell surface CD69.
Newman
I
I
Department of Immunology, University of Glasgow, UK.
Wilkinson
P C
PC
D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000378:metabolism; D004586:Electrophoresis; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D018089:Superantigens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D004768:Enterotoxins; D016209:Interleukin-8; D018089:Superantigens; C031818:enterotoxin B, staphylococcal