SURFACE-MARKERS OF LYMPHOCYTES IN THE SNAKE, SPALEROSOPHIS-DIADEMA .1. INVESTIGATION OF LYMPHOCYTE SURFACE-MARKERS

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 40  (4) , 605-611
Abstract
A specific antiserum was raised in rabbits against thymocytes from snakes, S. diadema, and was absorbed repeatedly with snake erythrocytes and kidney cells. In complement-dependent cytotoxicity assays, the absorbed anti-thymocyte serum (ATS) was, at any given dilution, cytotoxic to S. diadema thymocytes > peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) > spleen cells and could be titrated to a plateau defining a population of about 98% of thymocytes, 80% of PBL and 72% of spleen cells. Antiserum directed against snakes Ig was obtained by injecting rabbits with .gamma.-globulins separated from snake serum by DEAE-cellulose filtration. The anti-.gamma. globulin serum was absorbed with snake erythrocytes, and in indirect membrane immunofluorescence stained no thymocytes while reacted with about 15% of PBL and 29% of spleen lymphocytes up to a 1:8 dilution. Fluorescence of positive cells was distributed in spots, patches or caps; cap formation could be inhibited by maintaining the immunofluorescence test at 4.degree. C in each of 6 separate experiments performed during spring, the percentage of lymphocytes which reacted with anti-snake .gamma.-globulin serum complemented the percentage of cells recognized by ATS. About 3%, 8% and 21% of lymphocytes from thymus, peripheral blood and spleen, respectively, possess a receptor for 2-mercaptoethanol-insensitive antibody-sheep erythrocyte complexes. Lymphocyte structural heterogeneity exists in reptiles.