Effect of T- and B-lymphocyte mitogens on interactions between lymphocytes and macrophages.

The mitogenic response of murine T cells ² to Con A, S-Con A and PHA was found to be macrophage-dependent. Optimal mitogenic responses were obtained when macrophage-depleted T-cell populations were reconstituted with 5% normal peritoneal macro-phages. Studies were carried out to investigate the effect of T- and B-cell mitogens on in vitro physical interactions between murine lymphocytes and macrophages. This was done by determining the number of T- or B cells binding to macrophages in the absence and in the presence of T- and B cell mitogens, and comparing the results of these experiments with the induction of lymphocyte proliferation. Con A increased the binding of T cells to macrophages when used in mitogenic doses (1–5 μg/ml). Dose response experiments showed that the same dose of Con A which produced maximal mitogenic stimulation also induced the greatest number of T cells to bind to macrophages. Nonmitogenic doses of Con A (20–50 μg/ml) did not enhance the binding of T cells, while identical doses of S-Con A both induced T cell mitogenesis and increased the number of T cells bound to macrophages. Similar results were obtained with PHA. None of the B-cell mitogens tested (LPS, EPO 127 and LAgl) increased the binding of either T or B cells to macrophages. PWM, which is mitogenic for both T and B cells, increased the binding of T cells to macrophages, but not that of B cells. In brief, the four T-cell mitogens tested (Con A, S-Con A, PHA, and PWM) induced specific physical interactions between T cells and macrophages, while none of the B-cell mitogens had any effect on the physical interactions between either B or T cells and macrophages when used in mitogenic doses.     

Jacalin, an IgA-binding lectin, inhibits differentiation of human B cells by both a direct effect and by activating T-suppressor cells

Jacalin, a lectin extracted from the seeds of Artocarpus intergifolia (jackfruit), has been reported to bind specifically to IgA while inducing B-cell polyclonal immunoglobulin secretion. We confirmed that jacalin only binds to IgA and not to IgG or IgM and extended these findings by showing that it does not bind to IgE. Addition of jacalin to either unfractioned peripheral blood lymphocytes or purified B cells failed to induce immunoglobulin synthesis; indeed immunoglobulin production was diminished in the presence of jacalin. We found that jacalin directly inhibited the induction of immunoglobulin synthesis from B cells in the presence of T-cell replacing factor. Cell lines making IgG, IgM, and IgA were inhibited by jacalin. Furthermore, T cells incubated with jacalin also inhibited immunoglobulin production by stimulated B cells. Under these conditions jacalin was found to be a potent mitogen for T cells but to induce little or no activation of B cells. Jacalin appears to be a potent T-cell mitogen which can induce suppressor T cells for Ig production. It also has a direct inhibitory effect on B-cell Ig production.     

Role of monocytes in pokeweed mitogen-induced differentiation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Separate stimulation (“pulsing”) method of different cell populations with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) was used to study the regulatory role of monocytes in the PWM-induced plaque-forming cell response of human peripheral blood lymphocytes. T cells, B cells, and monocytes were separated, pulse-stimulated with PWM, extensively washed, and cocultured with unstimulated cell populations without additional PWM. Pulse-stimulated T cells helped unstimulated B cells to differentiate into immunoglobulin-secreting cells. This generation of helper T cells by PWM-pulsing was enhanced by monocytes in the presence of free PWM, as well as by PWM-pulsed monocytes in the absence of free PWM. A coculture of pulse-stimulated B cells and unstimulated T cells produced more substantial B-cell differentiation than the coculture of stimulated T cells and unstimulated B cells. Further enhancement of the latter response was obtained when B cells were pulse-stimulated in the presence of monocytes. However, pulse-stimulated B cells did not differentiate in the absence of T cells, and monocytes were unable to replace this T-cell function. It appears that there are several pathways by which PWM induces B-cell differentiation and in each, monocytes play an enhancing role.     

Suppression of B-cell and T-cell responses by the prostaglandin-induced T-cell-derived suppressor (PITS). I. Analysis of the PITS beta factor

Within populations of mitogenically (PWM) stimulated normal human lymphocytes, the proliferation of B lymphocytes is terminated by T cells. In contrast, T cells limit their own proliferation. T cells thus apparently measure and terminate the proliferation of B cells as well as themselves, suggesting an important role for them in limiting amplification during immune response. Under the culture conditions employed, PWM-induced B- and T-cell proliferation was uncoupled from B-cell differentiation into plasmacytes. Termination of B-cell proliferation in this in vitro model of humoral immune response is independent of B-cell differentiation.     

Beta-1,4-mannosyl-glycoprotein beta-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III activity in human B and T lymphocyte lines and in tonsillar B and T lymphocytes

beta-1,4-mannosyl-glycoprotein beta-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GlcNAc-T III) catalyzes the incorporation of a "bisecting" N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residue in beta 1-4 linkage to the beta-linked mannose of the core of asparagine linked-protein bound oligosaccharides (N-glycans). The activity of GlcNAc-T III was determined in Triton X-100 extracts of four human Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected B-cell lines, in four T-cell lines originally established from lymphocytes of patients with acute lymphatic leukemia, and in human tonsillar B and T lymphocytes. The four EBV-transformed B-cell lines showed appreciable GlcNAc-T III activities (ranging from 3.4 to 19.0 nmol.h-1.mg protein-1), while the tonsillar resting B lymphocytes had much less activity (0.68 nmol.h-1.mg protein-1). The four T-cell lines and the tonsillar T lymphocytes had negligible GlcNAc-T III activities (ranging from 0.02 to 0.25 nmol.h-1.mg protein-1). Enzyme product was identified by high resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and methylation analysis. This is the first demonstration of GlcNAc-T III activity in human lymphocytes. The presence of GlcNAc-T III in B-cell lines correlates with the reported occurrence of bisecting GlcNAc residues in the oligosaccharides of human immunoglobulins G, A1, M, and D, tonsillar class II antigens, and membrane glycoproteins from B lymphocytes. The negligible GlcNAc-T III activity of the four human T-cell lines and of tonsillar T lymphocytes agrees with the reported absence of bisected structures in N-glycans from human T lymphocyte membrane glycoproteins.     

Flow-cytometric determination of intracellular pH, esterase activity and cell volume in human leukemic cell lines following in vitro incubation with cytostatic drugs

A recently developed flow cytometric assay method using patient tumor cells allows the determination not only of their sensitivity to cytostatic drugs but also of biochemical and biophysical parameters after treatment, such as esterase concentration and intracellular pH of the living cells. DNA-content of the dead cells and cell volume of living and dead cells. The T-cell lines CEM, Molt4, Jurkat, the B-cell lines RPMI1788, Daudi, Raji and the promyelocytic line HL60 were incubated with: cytosine arabinoside (ara-C), L-asparaginase, daunorubicin, vincristine and prednisone for 48 h. Living cells then stained with esterase and pH-dye 1,4-diacetoxy-2,3-dicyanobenzene (ADB) and dead cells with DNA-dye propidium-iodide (PI). The esterase concentration, an index of metabolic activity, decreased in the T-cell lines under the influence of ara-C, daunorubicin and vincristine, whereas in the B-cell lines smaller changes in esterase concentration were observed (P less than 0.001). A decrease in intracellular pH was seen in the ara-C and daunorubicin-incubated cells Molt4, CEM and HL60, whereas in the B-cell lines no significant change in intracellular pH was found. In all lines except Jurkat the cell volume of the surviving cells increased under the influence of certain drugs (primarily ara-C and daunorubicin); B-cell lines showed a greater swelling than T-cell lines (P = 0.001).     

Suppressor T cells activated by autologous B-cell derived lines inhibit blastogenic responses by peripheral lymphocytes to mitogens or autologous lymphoblastoid cell lines

EBV-transformed B-cell lines (LCL) suppressed peripheral lymphocyte responses to mitogens (PHA, PWM, and protein A). Cell separation experiments have shown that LCL cells activate autologous radiosensitive suppressor T cells that inhibit T-cell responses to mitogens (PHA and Con A) and to the autologous lymphoblastoid cell line itself. The significance of this autologous response and the way it may reflect on the effect of the suppressor T cells on the regulation of potential autoimmune responses is considered in relation to the in vivo phenomena observed in the course of acute mononucleosis.     

The effects of tunicamycin and 20-hydroxyecdysone on the cell surface properties of two insect cell lines

The radiolabeled lectins, concanavalin A* and wheat germ agglutinin, were used to study surface properties of two insect cell lines. We also looked at the effects of tunicamycin and 20-hydroxyecdysone on the binding of these lectins to one of the cell lines. Both UMBGE-2 and CH-MRRL cells bound both lectins, specifically. The CH-MRRL cells showed an overall higher binding for the lectins than the UMBGE-2 cells. This difference may account for some of the striking morphological difference seen between these cells. Tunicamycin and 20-hydroxyecdysone decreased the binding of both [¹²⁵I]-Con A and [¹²⁵I]-WGA to CH-MRRL cells. These results suggest that cell surface glycoproteins play a role in the modification of cellular morphology and in other hormone-mediated physiological functions.     

Antigen-specific human B-cell responses: modulation by immunoregulatory T-cell subsets

In vitro T-cell requirements for and modulation of human B-cell responses were studied in individuals immunized in vivo to the protein antigen keyhole limpet hemocyanin or tetanus toxoid. T cells were required for antibody synthesis in both antigen-driven and pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-driven cultures. T cells were separated into T4+ and T8+ subpopulations using monoclonal antibodies, and their modulation of antibody synthesis was studied. T4+ cells functioned as helper cells in both antigen-driven and PWM-driven cultures in a dose-dependent manner. Whereas T8+ cells suppress both total and specific immunoglobulin secretion in PWM-stimulated cultures, in antigen-stimulated cultures T8+ cells do not suppress unless activated by another cell population present in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC). This cellular requirement was further investigated by prestimulation of cells prior to addition to optimally stimulated antigen-driven cultures of PBMNC or B cells, monocytes, and helper T cells. No suppression of these optimally stimulated cultures was seen when T8+ cells were precultured with antigen or PWM. However, after 3-5 days preculture of total T cells with PWM or antigen and then selection of T4+ cells, these cells were able to induce fresh autologous T8+ cells to suppress optimally stimulated antigen-driven cultures. Addition of a precultured mixture of T8+ cells with 20% T4+ cells also resulted in antigen-induced suppression. These data indicate that T8+ cells can suppress antigen-driven cultures but require the presence of preactivated T4+ cells for induction of this suppression of antigen-specific T-cell-dependent human B-cell responses.     

Induction of human immunoglobulin secretion. II. T lymphocyte dependency and radiosensitivity of T-cell help for induction of B-cell differentiation by Staphylococcus aureus strain Cowan I

The induction of peripheral blood B lymphocytes to mature to immunoglobulin-secreting cells (ISC) when stimulated by Staphylococcus aureus strain Cowan I was found to be T helper cell-dependent (J. Immunol.127, 1044, 1981). The nature of T help was studied in B- and T-cell separation and reconstitution experiments. T helper cells for Cowan I were very radiosensitive (D₃₇ < 500 rad) in comparison to helpers for pokeweed mitogen (PWM) (D₃₇ > 2000 rad). PWM synergized with Cowan I in induction of ISC, and helper T cells for dual stimulation were also radioresistant. The ratio of T to B cells was found to be critical in judging reactivity of donors for both PWM and Cowan I. T cells stimulated with PWM, but not Cowan I, produced T cell-replacing factors essential for Cowan I-induced maturation of B cells. Irradiation of T cells prior to PWM stimulation increased the level of such helper factors. Poor responders to Cowan I, as judged by mononuclear cell cultures, had apparently few helpers for the bacterial stimulant, compared to high responders. Cowan I helper T-cell activity did not appear to be due to protein A leaking from the bacteria and stimulating T cells. In all these experiments, induction of ISC by Cowan I was completely dependent on T cells or factor, providing a good model for investigation of B-cell differentiation regulated by a unique subset of radiosensitive T helper cells.     

Phospholipid synthesis by activated human B lymphocytes

Pokeweed mitogen- (PWM) stimulated DNA and Ig synthesis in human B cells is dependent on the presence of T cells and adherent cells, but the influence of these regulatory cells on earlier activation events is unknown. We have studied the T cell and monocyte influence on the incorporation of [methyl-14C]choline chloride into B cell phospholipids (PL) after varying periods of in vitro culture with or without pokeweed mitogen (PWM). By separating B and T cells after choline pulsing, a peak in PWM-induced PL synthesis of B cells at days 1 to 2 was revealed, whereas the T cell response was later (days 2 to 3). In the first 4 hr of culture, the purified B cell plus monocyte fraction incorporated choline four to six times faster than the T cell fraction, but PWM did not increase choline incorporation, whether these fractions were cultured separately or together. When cultures were pulsed with choline between 16 and 20 hr with or without PWM, monocytes incorporated choline six to nine times faster than T cells, and B cells were intermediate. Also at 16 to 20 hr of culture, a significant PWM-induced increase in choline incorporation by B cells was evident and was dependent on the presence of T cells and monocytes. The monocytes showed no increased choline incorporation due to PWM. Thus, the influence of regulatory cells on the PWM response in B cells is evident within the first 24 hr.     

Increased Rate of HIV-1 Entry and Its Cytopathic Effect in CD4/CXCR4T Cells Expressing Relatively High Levels of CD26

The role of the T-cell activation antigen CD26 was evaluated in viral entry and infection of CD4⁺/CXCR4⁺cells by the lymphotropic HIV-1 Lai isolate. For this purpose, CEM T cells, which are permissive to HIV infection and express low levels of CD26, were used to establish by transfection four groups of cell clones expressing either low, high, and very high levels of CD26, or expressing the anti-sense RNA of CD26. Entry was monitored by the detection of proviral DNA synthesis and the kinetics of virus production, whereas the cytopathic effect was demonstrated by the occurrence of apoptosis. HIV entry and infection were consistently accelerated by at least 24 to 48 h in clones expressing high levels of CD26 compared to the parental cells or to the clones expressing low levels of CD26. Interestingly, infection of clones expressing very high levels of CD26 was not accelerated and showed a kinetics of infection similar to that of low CD26 expressing clones. Moreover, HIV infection was significantly reduced in the clones expressing CD26 anti-sense RNA. In the different clones, apoptosis was dependent on the severity of virus infection and occurred after the accumulation of HIV envelope glycoproteins. Our results demonstrate that with equivalently expressed levels of CD4 and CXCR4 in cell lines established from CEM cells, relatively high levels of CD26 contribute to an increased rate of HIV entry, infection, and apoptosis. Furthermore, they point out that overexpression of CD26 in a given cell line may lead to a negative effect on HIV infection. Consequently, CD26 appears to regulate HIV entry and apoptosis, processes which are critical for viral pathogenesis.     

Tolerance and immunity in antigen-specific B-lymphocyte lines: early receptor binding of either antigen or tolerogen initiates an immune response

Studies of the effect of tolerance-inducing compounds on B lymphocytes have been complicated by the fact that it is technically difficult to completely isolate the antigen-specific B cell from the effects of T cells or T-cell factors. We have used our cell lines of nonmalignant dinitrophenyl (DNP)-specific B lymphocytes derived from normal mice, which have no contaminating T cells, to study the effect of DNP-murine IgG2a (DNP-MGG), a tolerogen which is not normally immunogenic, on antigen-specific B lymphocytes. Preincubation with DNP-MGG for 48 hr, both in the presence and absence of T-cell factors from EL-4 supernatant prior to adding the antigen DNP-Ficoll, can induce tolerance in cell line B lymphocytes. The suppression is antigen-specific since preincubation with fluorescein-MGG or unconjugated MGG does not suppress the anti-DNP response. At least a 36-hr incubation is required for tolerance induction in B lymphocytes, but a 6-hr preincubation with DNP-MGG augments the immune response to DNP-Ficoll. Lymphocytes incubated for 6 or 24 hr with DNP-MGG prior to adding EL-4 supernatant and filler cells without DNP-Ficoll exhibited an immune response equal to that elicited by DNP-Ficoll and T-cell factors. A 6-hr pulse with a DNP-conjugated polymer of D-glutamic acid and D-lysine (DNP-dGL), a B-cell tolerogen which does not bind to Fc receptors, elicited the same immune response as seen with a 6-hr pulse of DNP-MGG but a 48-hr preincubation with DNP-dGL induced tolerance. Thus, it is likely that the initial binding of the tolerogen to the immunoglobulin receptor on the mature B cell elicits an activation signal similar to that seen with the antigen. The suppressive effect of the tolerogen itself appears to occur at a later stage of the process of the B-cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation.     

Inhibition of human antigen-induced lymphoblastoid B-cell function by an in vivo-induced suppressor T cell

Lymphoblastoid (LB) B cells which spontaneously produce antitetanus toxoid IgG antibodies (Tet-IgG) in short-term cultures (3 days) appear in the circulation 5-7 days after immunization with tetanus toxoid. Addition of pokeweed mitogen (PWM), normally a stimulator of antibody production, caused instead a reduction in the in vitro synthesis of Tet-IgG by the LB cells. In order for this inhibition of antibody production to occur, T cells had to be present, and the inhibition was proportional to the number of T cells added to the culture, demonstrating the existence of PWM-inducible suppressor cells. The cells mediating the suppression had the OKT8 phenotype and also exhibited the following characteristics: (1) a PWM pretreatment period as little as 14 hr was enough to complete activation; (2) conventional inhibitors of suppressor T cells as hydrocortisone and cyclosporin A only partially reversed its effect; and (3) DNA synthesis was not required. The T-suppressor activity was detectable in the circulation before immunization, increased two- to fourfold by 5-12 days after boosting, and waned after 3 weeks. The mechanism of action of this suppression does not appear to involve conventional cytotoxic T cells as (1) the suppression was mediated across allogeneic barriers and (2) the suppression could not be reversed by inclusion of anti-Leu-2a antibodies in the culture. These results suggest that this suppressor T-cell subset may be important in the normal regulation of activated stages of human B lymphocytes.     

The production of immunoregulatory factors by a human macrophage-like cell line: I. Characterization of an inhibitor of lymphocyte DNA synthesis

Stimulation of the human histiocytic lymphoma, U937, with the lectins concanavalin A or phytohemagglutinin, results in the production of an inhibitor of mitogen-induced peripheral blood lymphocyte proliferation. This inhibitor of DNA synthesis (IDS) has an apparent molecular weight of ~65,000, is heat (56 °C) and acid (pH 2.0) labile, but is resistant to 10^?4M 2-mercaptoethanol treatment. The mechanism of action is nontoxic and reversible within 24 hr of removal of the cells from IDS-containing supernatants. A variety of lymphoid and lymphoblastoid cell lines of B and T lymphocyte origin are sensitive to the effects of IDS. In contrast, the nonlymphoid cell lines HeLa, L929, MCF-7, and T47-D are unaffected by exposures to high concentrations of IDS preparations. The relationship of the IDS to other macrophage-derived inhibitory factors is discussed.     

DNA and immunoglobulin synthesis by rabbit peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro: complete and incomplete stimulation

Activation of resting (G0) rabbit peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) into DNA synthesis and IgG synthesis was studied using sheep anti-rabbit IgG (SARIgG), protein A, pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). DNA synthesis was assayed by [125I]iododeoxyuridine incorporation. IgG synthesis was measured by determination of Ig in culture supernatants by an ELISA assay. Rabbit PBLs cultured with SARIgG or protein A for 48 hr and then without these reagents for 72 hr showed both DNA synthesis and Ig synthesis, whereas PWM and LPS had very little, if any, effect. PBLs stimulated with SARIgG for 6 hr and then without SARIgG for subsequent 114 hr did not become activated into DNA synthesis or IgG synthesis. However, PBLs prestimulated with SARIgG for 6 hr and then with PWM for 114 hr showed prominent DNA and IgG synthesis. LPS also maintained activation of PBLs after prestimulation of these cells with SARIgG, but the effect was much smaller than that of PWM. No evidence was found for production of factors by SARIgG-stimulated PBLs that could, by themselves, either stimulate resting cells or maintain activation of SARIgG-prestimulated cells. These results suggest that anti-IgG and protein A are complete activating mitogens for resting rabbit B cells to proliferate and differentiate into IgG-producing cells, whereas PWM and LPS are not able to activate G0 cells directly, but have a sustaining effect after activation of resting B cells with anti-IgG, either directly or via production of factors by accessory cells.     

Induction of nonspecific, proliferative dependent suppressor T lymphocytes in human mixed lymphocyte cultures

The stimulation of highly purified human T and B cells by soluble and insoluble protein A was studied. Insoluble protein A, such as protein A conjugated to Sepharose beads (S-pro A), or Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I strain bacteria (SpA CoI), markedly stimulated B cells, but did not affect T cells. SpA CoI stimulated B cells independently of the presence of T cells. While soluble protein A failed to stimulate either T or B cells alone, it greatly stimulated the mixture of T and B cells. Mitomycin treatment revealed that the response to soluble protein A was ascribed mainly to the T-cell response with the B-cell helper effect, though partially to the B-cell response with the T-cell helper effect as well. The response of T cells to protein A was enhanced by both the adherent population and the nonadherent B-cell population. This T-B cooperation was mediated by direct cell-to-cell interaction rather than soluble mediators. The binding experiments also demonstrated that the amount of protein A bound to T cells was far less than that to B cells. These results point out the significance of B-cell participation in T-cell activation. The mechanism by which protein A activates T and B cells was also discussed.     

Role of vif in replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in CD4+ T lymphocytes.

The viral infectivity factor gene vif of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 has been shown to affect the infectivity but not the production of virus particles. In this study, the effect of vif in the context of the HXB2 virus on virus replication in several CD4+ T-cell lines was investigated. vif was found to be required for replication in the CD4+ T-cell lines CEM and H9 as well as in peripheral blood T lymphocytes. vif was not required for replication in the SupT1, C8166, and Jurkat T-cell lines. The infectivity of vif-defective viruses depended on the cell type in which the virus was produced. In CEM cells, vif was required for production of virus capable of initiating infection in all cell lines studied. vif-defective virus produced by SupT1, C8166, and Jurkat cells and the monkey cell line COS-1 could initiate infection in multiple cell lines, including CEM and H9. These results suggest that vif can compensate for cellular factors required for production of infectious virus particles that are present in some cell lines such as SupT1, C8166, and Jurkat but are absent in others such as CEM and H9 as well as peripheral blood T lymphocytes. The effect of vif was not altered by deletion of the carboxyl terminus of gp41, a proposed target for vif (B. Guy, M. Geist, K. Dott, D. Spehner, M.-P. Kieny, and J.-P. Lecocq, J. Virol. 65:1325-1331, 1991). These studies demonstrate that vif enhances viral infectivity during virus production and also suggest that vif is likely to be important for natural infections.     

Cellular cooperation in mitogen-induced human leukocyte inhibitory factor (LIF) synthesis.

Interactions between human T and B lymphocytes and between lymphocyte subpopulations and accessory cells in lymphokine synthesis were investigated. The cells were stimulated with leukoagglutinin (LA), concanavalin A (Con A), protein A (prot A) and anti-β₂-microglobulin (anti-β₂m). The presence of leukocyte inhibitory factor (LIF) in the culture supernatants was tested by the agarose-migration method. The results indicated that monocytes augmented LIF synthesis of T cells but suppressed that of B cells. Monocyte-helper effect was mediated by both cell-cell contact and soluble factors. In addition, T lymphocytes were found to augment B-cell LIF production. B lymphocytes enhanced Con A- but suppressed LA-induced LIF production by T cells. T-cell/B-cell collaboration was based on a direct cell-cell contact and no soluble factors were found.