MOUSE MONONUCLEAR PHAGOCYTE ANTIGENIC HETEROGENEITY DETECTED BY MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES

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  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 32  (3) , 219-231
Abstract
Identification and characterization of the many cellular and subcellular changes that underlie various macrophage functions have been hampered by the problem of population heterogeneity. The problem has remained because, in the case of most functions, the means to examine cells at a level below that of whole populations have not been available. The potential means to do so are reported here. Rat anti-mouse mononuclear phagocyte monoclonal antibodies were raised against adherent cells cultured from bone marrow. These antibodies were used to delineate and, in the presence of complement, eliminate subpopulations of macrophages. The extent to which antigenic heterogeneity occurs was shown in several mononuclear phagocyte populations commonly employed experimentally. Since antibodies reacted with most mononuclear phagocytes tested; others showed marked selectivity of binding. Resident populations were less heterogeneous antigenically than inflammatory populations were. The data both extend what is known about mononuclear phagocyte population heterogeneity and suggest means by which to overcome this heterogeneity.