HUMAN-MOUSE MIXED LYMPHOCYTE-CULTURES .2. PARTIAL SEPARATION OF FUNCTIONALLY DISTINCT POPULATIONS ON DISCONTINUOUS ALBUMIN GRADIENTS

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 36  (2) , 347-353
Abstract
Human-mouse mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC) develop stable, strain-specific responses directed towards antigens [Ag] determined by the mouse major histocompatibility complex (MHC). By restimulation in vitro a 2- to 4-fold increase in total cell numbers can be achieved. Sensitized cells can be fractionated on discontinuous BSA [bovine serum albumin] gradients to produce fractions with predominantly proliferative or cytotoxic activity towards the initiating Ag. Mixing experiments show that fractionation of biological activity is the result of fractionation of specifically sensitized effector cells rather than fractionation of inhibitory or collaborative elements. Since biological activities can be separated on the basis of physical properties into distinct cell populations, these functions are probably the properties of distinct subclasses of human T [thymus-derived] lymphocytes. Xenogeneic MLC coupled to physical separation measures is a useful approach to the study of Ag-specific human T lymphocytes.