INDUCTION AND SEPARATION OF MOUSE HELPER T-CELLS BY LECTINS

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 40  (2) , 217-222
Abstract
The capability of Lens culinaris agglutinin (LcA) to selectively induce the helper T [thymus-derived] cell activity affecting primary antibody response was demonstrated. In the presence of mouse spleen cells activated with LcA at a concentration of 12.5.mu.g/ml, optimal augmentation of the humoral immune response to sheep erythrocytes was observed. Limulus polyphemus agglutinin (LPA), which possesses carbohydrate-binding specificity directed to sialic acid residues, preferentially agglutinated helper T cells. Peanut agglutinin (PNA), which binds preferentially to the sugar sequence .beta.-D-Gal-(1 .fwdarw. 3)-D-GalNAc, did not agglutinate the helper cells. The stimulatory effect of LPA-agglutinated cells on the antibody response was abolished by treatment of the cells with anti-Thy-1.2 and complement. Thus the helper cells induced by LcA were T cells that have abundant sialic acid residues exposed on the cell surface.