Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1971 Oct;9(4):483–498.

Lymphocyte activation: I. Response of T and B lymphocytes to phytomitogens

G Janossy, M F Greaves
PMCID: PMC1713004  PMID: 4941661

Abstract

The selectivity of phytomitogens for T (thymus derived/dependent) and B (`bursa-equivalent' dependent/derived) lymphocytes from the mouse spleen has been investigated. Responses of normal spleen cell cultures were compared with those of cultures of selected B cells. The latter were obtained from three sources (1) spleen cells of mice that had been thymectomized as adults, lethally irradiated and reconstituted with syngeneic bone marrow cells pretreated with anti-θ serum (2) spleen cells from congenitally athymic (`nude') mice and (3) spleen cells from normal mice treated with anti-θ serum plus guinea-pig complement prior to culture.

Using a variety of different culture conditions it was shown that B cells respond well to pokeweed mitogen, and poorly if at all to phytohaemagglutinin. Responsiveness to the latter mitogen in normal spleen cell cultures appears to be a property of T cells.

Full text

PDF
483

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adler W. H., Takiguchi T., Marsh B., Smith R. T. Cellular recognition by mouse lymphocytes in vitro. I. Definition of a new technique and results of stimulation by phytohemagglutinin and specific antigens. J Exp Med. 1970 Jun 1;131(6):1049–1078. doi: 10.1084/jem.131.6.1049. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Alm G. V., Peterson R. D. Antibody and immunoglobulin production at the cellular level in bursectomized-irradiated chickens. J Exp Med. 1969 Jun 1;129(6):1247–1259. doi: 10.1084/jem.129.6.1247. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Blomgren H., Svedmyr E. Evidence for thymic dependence of PHA-reactive cells in spleen and lymph nodes and independence in bone marrow. J Immunol. 1971 Mar;106(3):835–841. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Börjeson J., Reisfeld R., Chessin L. N., Welsh P. D., Douglas S. D. Studies on human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro. I. Biological and physicochemical properties of the pokeweed mitogen. J Exp Med. 1966 Nov 1;124(5):859–872. doi: 10.1084/jem.124.5.859. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. COULSON A. S., CHALMERS D. G. EFFECTS OF PHYTOHAEMAGGLUTININ ON LEUCOCYTES. Lancet. 1964 Oct 10;2(7363):819–820. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(64)90598-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chessin L. N., Börjeson J., Welsh P. D., Douglas S. D., Cooper H. L. Studies on human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro. II. Morphological and biochemical studies on the transformation of lymphocytes by pokeweed mitogen. J Exp Med. 1966 Nov 1;124(5):873–884. doi: 10.1084/jem.124.5.873. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Claman H. N. Human thymus cell cultures-evidence for two functional populations. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1966 Jan;121(1):236–240. doi: 10.3181/00379727-121-30746. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Colley D. G., Wu A. Y., Waksman B. H. Cellular differentiation in the thymus. 3. Surface properties of rat thymus and lymph node cells separated on density gradients. J Exp Med. 1970 Dec 1;132(6):1107–1121. doi: 10.1084/jem.132.6.1107. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Davies A. J., Leuchars E., Wallis V., Doenhoff M. J. A system for lymphocytes in the mouse. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1971 Jan 12;176(1045):369–384. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1971.0001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Doenhoff M. J., Davies A. J., Leuchars E., Wallis V. The thymus and circulating lymphocytes of mice. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1970 Oct 13;176(1042):69–85. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1970.0035. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Douglas S. D., Fudenberg H. H. In vitro development of plasma cells from lymphocytes following pokeweed mitogen stimulation: a fine structural study. Exp Cell Res. 1969 Feb;54(2):277–279. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(69)90252-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Douglas S. D., Hoffman P. F., Borjeson J., Chessin L. N. Studies on human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro. 3. Fine structural features of lymphocyte transformation by pokeweed mitogen. J Immunol. 1967 Jan;98(1):17–30. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. FARNES P., BARKER B. E., BROWNHILL L. E., FANGER H. MITOGENIC ACTIVITY IN PHYTOLACCA AMERICANA (POKEWEED). Lancet. 1964 Nov 21;2(7369):1100–1101. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(64)92616-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Flanagan S. P. 'Nude', a new hairless gene with pleiotropic effects in the mouse. Genet Res. 1966 Dec;8(3):295–309. doi: 10.1017/s0016672300010168. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Gotoff S. P. Lymphocytes in congenital immunological deficiency diseases. Clin Exp Immunol. 1968 Oct;3(8):843–856. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Greaves M. F., Roitt I. M., Rose M. E. Effect of bursectomy and thymectomy on the responses of chicken peripheral blood lymphocytes to phytohaemagglutinin. Nature. 1968 Oct 19;220(5164):293–295. doi: 10.1038/220293a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Greaves M. F., Roitt I. M. The effect of phytohaemagglutinin and other lymphocyte mitogens on immunoglobulin synthesis by human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro. Clin Exp Immunol. 1968 Jun;3(5):393–412. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Hirschhorn R., Troll W., Brittinger G., Weissmann G. Template activity of nuclei from stimulated lymphocytes. Nature. 1969 Jun 28;222(5200):1247–1250. doi: 10.1038/2221247a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Johnston J. M., Wilson D. B. Origin of immunoreactive lymphocytes in rats. Cell Immunol. 1970 Oct;1(4):430–444. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(70)90019-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Martial-Lasfargues C., Liacopoulos-Briot M., Halpern B. N. Culture des leucocytes sanguins de souris in vitro. Etude de l'action de la phytohémagglutinine (PHA) sur les lymphocytes de souris normales et thymectomisées. C R Seances Soc Biol Fil. 1966;160(11):2013–2019. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Meuwissen H. J., Stutman O., Good R. A. Functions of the lymphocytes. Semin Hematol. 1969 Jan;6(1):28–66. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Meuwissen H. J., Van Alten P. A., Good R. A. Decreased lymphoid cell multiplication in the post-thymectomy state. Transplantation. 1969 Jan;7(1):1–11. doi: 10.1097/00007890-196901000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Moorhead J. F., Connolly J. J., McFarland W. Factors affecting the reactivity of human lymphocytes in vitro. I. Cell number, duration of culture and surface area. J Immunol. 1967 Aug;99(2):413–419. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. NOWELL P. C. Phytohemagglutinin: an initiator of mitosis in cultures of normal human leukocytes. Cancer Res. 1960 May;20:462–466. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Oppenheim J. J. Relationship of in vitro lymphocyte transformation to delayed hypersensitivity in guinea pigs and man. Fed Proc. 1968 Jan-Feb;27(1):21–28. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Pantelouris E. M. Absence of thymus in a mouse mutant. Nature. 1968 Jan 27;217(5126):370–371. doi: 10.1038/217370a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Pegrum G. D., Ready D., Thompson E. The effect of phytohaemagglutinin on human foetal cells grown in culture. Br J Haematol. 1968 Oct;15(4):371–376. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1968.tb01552.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Pogo B. G., Allfrey V. G., Mirsky A. E. RNA synthesis and histone acetylation during the course of gene activation in lymphocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1966 Apr;55(4):805–812. doi: 10.1073/pnas.55.4.805. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Raff M. C., Wortis H. H. Thymus dependence of theta-bearing cells in the peripheral lymphoid tissues of mice. Immunology. 1970 Jun;18(6):931–942. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Raff M. Theta isoantigen as a marker of thymus-derived lymphocytes in mice. Nature. 1969 Oct 25;224(5217):378–379. doi: 10.1038/224378a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Rieke W. O. Lymphocytes from thymectomized rats: immunologic, proliferative, and metabolic properties. Science. 1966 Apr 22;152(3721):535–538. doi: 10.1126/science.152.3721.535. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Rodey G. E., Good R. A. The in vitro response to phytohemagglutinin of lyphoid cells from normal and neonatally thymectomized adult mice. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1969;36(4):399–407. doi: 10.1159/000230760. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Roitt I. M., Greaves M. F., Torrigiani G., Brostoff J., Playfair J. H. The cellular basis of immunological responses. A synthesis of some current views. Lancet. 1969 Aug 16;2(7616):367–371. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)92712-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Schwarz M. R. Transformation of rat small lymphocytes with pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Anat Rec. 1968 Jan;160(1):47–58. doi: 10.1002/ar.1091600106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Takiguchi T., Adler W. H., Smith R. T. Cellular recognition in vitro by mouse lymphocytes. Effects of neonatal thymectomy and thymus graft restoration on alloantigen and PHA stimulation of whole and gradient-separated subpopulations of spleen cells. J Exp Med. 1971 Jan 1;133(1):63–80. doi: 10.1084/jem.133.1.63. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Tursi A., Greaves M. F., Torrigiani G., Playfair J. H., Roitt I. M. Response to phytohaemagglutinin of lymphocytes from mice treated with anti-lymphocyte globulin. Immunology. 1969 Nov;17(5):801–811. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Weber W. T. The response to phytohemagglutinin by lymphocytes from the spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius of chickens. Exp Cell Res. 1967 May;46(2):464–466. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(67)90084-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Wortis H. H. Immunological responses of 'nude' mice. Clin Exp Immunol. 1971 Feb;8(2):305–317. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Clinical and Experimental Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES