Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1969 Jun 1;129(6):1163–1181. doi: 10.1084/jem.129.6.1163

STUDIES OF PPLO INFECTION

V. INHIBITION OF LYMPHOCYTE MITOSIS AND ANTIBODY FORMATION BY MYCOPLASMAL EXTRACTS

Michael S Simberkoff 1, G Jeanette Thorbecke 1, Lewis Thomas 1
PMCID: PMC2138654  PMID: 4306341

Abstract

Extracts of five arginine-utilizing mycoplasmas inhibit PHA-induced lymphocyte mitosis, while extracts of five glucose-utilizing mycoplasmas do not. Evidence is presented supporting the view that the inhibitory factor is the enzyme arginine deiminase. This enzyme inhibits the reactions of human lymphocytes to antigens as well as PHA, and the secondary production of antibody by rabbit lymph node fragments in vitro. Addition of enzyme to the cells several days after the initial mitotic or antigenic stimulus reduces, but does not abolish, further cellular activity. The production of serum proteins by hepatoma cells is totally unaffected by the mycoplasmal extract. It is concluded that arginine is an essential amino acid for the small lymphocyte, but not for the transformed cell nor for a number of other cell types. Suggestive evidence has been obtained that other enzymes similarly affect lymphocyte reactions.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.1 MB).

Selected References

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

  1. Aula P., Nichols W. W. The cytogenetic effects of mycoplasma in human leukocyte cultures. J Cell Physiol. 1967 Dec;70(3):281–290. doi: 10.1002/jcp.1040700308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Campbell H. A., Mashburn L. T., Boyse E. A., Old L. J. Two L-asparaginases from Escherichia coli B. Their separation, purification, and antitumor activity. Biochemistry. 1967 Mar;6(3):721–730. doi: 10.1021/bi00855a011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Caron G. A., Sarkany I., Williams H. S., Todd A. P., Gell H. M. Radioactive method for the measurement of lymphocyte transformation in vitrol. Lancet. 1965 Dec 18;2(7425):1266–1268. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(65)92282-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. 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]
  5. Clarkson B. Formal discussion: on the cellular origins and distinctive features of cultured cell lines derived from patients with leukemias and lymphomas. Cancer Res. 1967 Dec;27(12):2483–2488. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gough J., Elves M. W. Studies of lymphocytes and their derivative cells in vitro. II. Enzyme cytochemistry. Acta Haematol. 1967;37(1):42–52. doi: 10.1159/000209051. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HIRSCHHORN K., BACH F., KOLODNY R. L., FIRSCHEIN I. L., HASHEM N. IMMUNE RESPONSE AND MITOSIS OF HUMAN PERIPHERAL BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES IN VITRO. Science. 1963 Nov 29;142(3596):1185–1187. doi: 10.1126/science.142.3596.1185. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. MICHAELIDES M. C., COONS A. H. Studies on antibody production. V. The secondary response in vitro. J Exp Med. 1963 Jun 1;117:1035–1051. doi: 10.1084/jem.117.6.1035. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Miedema E., Kruse P. F., Jr Effect of canavanine on proliferation and metabolism of human cells in vitro. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1966 Apr;121(4):1220–1222. doi: 10.3181/00379727-121-31010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Morton M. E., Copperman R., Lam G. T. Some properties of the inhibitor(s) of lymphocyte mitosis derived from Mycoplasma. J Bacteriol. 1968 Jun;95(6):2418–2419. doi: 10.1128/jb.95.6.2418-2419.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. O'Brien T. F., Coons A. H. STUDIES ON ANTIBODY PRODUCTION : VII. THE EFFECT OF 5-BROMODEOXYURIDINE ON THE IN VITRO ANAMNESTIC ANTIBODY RESPONSE. J Exp Med. 1963 Jun 1;117(6):1063–1074. doi: 10.1084/jem.117.6.1063. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. PEARMAIN G., LYCETTE R. R., FITZGERALD P. H. Tuberculin-induced mitosis in peripheral blood leucocytes. Lancet. 1963 Mar 23;1(7282):637–638. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(63)91275-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. PETRACK B., SULLIVAN L., RATNER S. Behavior of purified arginine desiminase from S. faecalis. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1957 Jul;69:186–197. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(57)90485-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. PITOT H. C., PERAINO C., MORSE P. A., Jr, POTTER V. R. HEPATOMAS IN TISSUE CULTURE COMPARED WITH ADAPTING LIVER IN VIVO. Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 1964 Apr;13:229–245. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SCHWARTZ J. H., MAAS W. K. Analysis of the inhibition of growth produced by canavanine in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1960 Jun;79:794–799. doi: 10.1128/jb.79.6.794-799.1960. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Schimke R. T., Berlin C. M., Sweeney E. W., Carroll W. R. The generation of energy by the arginine dihydrolase pathway in Mycoplasma hominis 07. J Biol Chem. 1966 May 25;241(10):2228–2236. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Simons M. J., Fowler R., Fitzgerald M. G. Mechanism of lymphocyte transformation induced by phytohaemagglutinin. Nature. 1968 Sep 7;219(5158):1021–1025. doi: 10.1038/2191021a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Stecher V. J., Thorbecke G. J. Gamma globulin and antibody formation in vitro. VII. Effect of x-irradiation on the secondary antibody response in vitro. J Exp Med. 1967 Jan 1;125(1):33–44. doi: 10.1084/jem.125.1.33. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Thomas L., Aleu F., Bitensky M. W., Davidson M., Gesner B. Studies of PPLO infection. II. The neurotoxin of Mycoplasma neurolyticum. J Exp Med. 1966 Dec 1;124(6):1067–1082. doi: 10.1084/jem.124.6.1067. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Thomas L., Davidson M., McCluskey R. T. Studies of PPLO infection. I. The production of cerebral polyarteritis by Mycoplasma gallisepticum in turkeys; the neurotoxic property of the Mycoplasma. J Exp Med. 1966 May 1;123(5):897–912. doi: 10.1084/jem.123.5.897. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Tourtellotte M. E., Pollack M. E., Nalewaik R. P. Protein synthesis in mycoplasma. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1967 Jul 28;143(1):130–138. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1967.tb27652.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Williams M. H., Taylor-Robinson D. Antigenicity of Mycoplasma membranes. Nature. 1967 Aug 26;215(5104):973–974. doi: 10.1038/215973a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES