STUDIES ON LYMPHOCYTE-T ACTIVATION .1. IS COMPETENCE INDUCTION IN THYMOCYTES BY PHORBOL-MYRISTATE ACETATE, AN ACCESSORY CELL-INDEPENDENT EVENT

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  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (1) , 183-189
Abstract
The effect of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) on lectin-induced murine thymocyte activation was studied. PMA itself failed to stimulate thymocyte proliferation, but potentiated concanavalin A (Con A)-induced thymocyte activation. A brief thymocyte incubation with PMA changed the responsiveness of these cells to an optimal mitogenic dose of Con A present during the entire subsequent culture period. PMA induced in a dose-dependent way within 30 min an optimal thymocyte competence to respond to the T cell growth factor interleukin-2 (IL-2). In contrast to lectin-triggered competence induction, PMA-triggered competence induction in thymocytes seemed to be independent of accessory cells.