Mitogenic Activity of the Cell Walls of Mycobacteria, Nocardia, Corynebacteria and Anaerobic Coryneforms

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Abstract
The mitogenic activity of the cell walls prepared from Mycobacterium bovis BCG, N. rubra, Corynebacterium diphtheriae PW8, and 4 species of Propionibacterium, C. parvum ATCC 11829, P. acnes C7, P. granulosum ATCC 25564 and P. avidum ATCC 25577, were investigated. These cell walls were active as mitogens on normal spleen cells, anti-.theta. sera-treated spleen cells, macrophage-depleted spleen cells of C57BL/6J mice and cortisone-treated thymocytes of C57BL/6J mice. These cell walls were mitogenic on spleen cells and macrophage-depleted spleen cells of congenitally athymic (nude) mice. The cell walls investigated in this study apparently act as mitogens on thymus-derived lymphocytes (T-cells) and bone marrow-derived lymphocytes (B-cells).