Studies on the electrophoretic separability of B and T human lymphocytes.

Cell electrophoresis experiments were performed at physiological, ionic strength on Hypaque-Ficoll separated normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes. The initial lymphocyte preparations averaged 72% T cells and 22% B cells as estimated by resetting techniques. A bimodal electrophoretic distribution of fast T cells and slow B cells such as has been repeatedly shown to exist for experimental animals could not be demonstrated. Neither B- nor T-enriched populations showed any correlation between mobility and degree of enrichment. A strong positive correlation was found between the non-rosetting cells and a very slow electrophoretic subpopulation produced during the B enrichment procedure. It was also found that considerable variability in lymphocyte mobilities existed from person to person and even in the same individual sampled over several months; these observations imply that the pooling of electrophoretic data can be misleading. The importance of these findings lies in the growing interest in relating lymphocyte electrophoresis to disease processes and immunological rejection phenomena.     

Alterations of polymorphonuclear leukocyte surface charge by stimulated lymphocyte supernatants

The effects of human lymphokines on the surface charge density of human polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes have been determined using the laser Doppler technique of electrophoretic light scattering. Unfractionated antigen (streptokinase-streptodornase or candida)-stimulated lymphocyte supernatants were found to decrease the mode electrophoretic mobility by 14%. In order to identify the responsible factor, we subjected supernatants from concanavalin A-stimulated lymphocytes to gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 columns and assayed the fractions for their ability to alter PMN electrophoretic mobilities. Two distinct species in the molecular weight ranges of 30–60K and 10–20K, respectively, were found to decrease the electrophoretic mobilities of PMN leukocytes. We have observed no effect of leukocyte inhibitory factor (LIF) on the electrophoretic mobility distribution of PMN leukocytes over a varying period of time (0–8 hr) and over a range of 2- to 10-fold supernatant concentration. Pretreatment of PMN leukocytes with neuraminidase substantially reduced their electrophoretic mobility; the addition of LIF to these pretreated cells did not alter their electrophoretic mobility distribution further. The latter finding is particularly significant in view of the fact that neuraminidase pretreatment of the target cells is known to potentiate LIF activity. We conclude that the mechanism of the inhibition of leukocyte migration by LIF does not involve an alteration of the leukocyte surface charge density.     

Electrophoretic mobility of mouse cells and homologous isolated nuclei

The electrophoretic mobilities of Ehrlich ascites, sarcoma 37 ascites, mouse liver cells and their isolated nuclei were measured under similar environmental conditions. No differences in mobility were detected between cells and homologous nuclei from the same cell population and it was concluded that their surface charge densities were probably the same. The effect of neuraminidase on Ehrlich ascites and liver cells and nuclei was also determined; neuraminidase reduced the mobility of Ehrlich ascites cell nuclei as well as cells. The reduction in mobility of cells and nuclei prepared by a sucrose method was the same; however, the reduction in mobility of citric acid prepared nuclei was less than that of citric acid treated cells. The reduction in mobility of both liver cells and nuclei was small or insignificant. It is suggested that although cells and nuclei have similar electrophoretic mobilities, possibly different groups contribute to their surface charge.     

Preferential reactivity of autoantibodies in murine lupus NZB mice to neuraminidase-treated monosialogangliosides on B cells of mouse spleen

When analyzed by flow cytometry, reactivity of IgM autoantibodies in sera from NZB mice to spleen B cells, but not to T cells, from BALB/c mice was remarkably increased after treatment of the cells with Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase. By TLC immunostaining with the antibodies, neither neutral nor acidic glycosphingolipids from both BALB/c and NZB mouse spleens were found to be reactive, but after neuraminidase treatment of the TLC plate, prior to the immunostaining, three components became reactive. All of the reactive glycosphingolipids were found to carry a single sialic acid residue and were at a concentration less than 1.3% of the total lipid-bound sialic acids. Their mobilities on TLC plate were close to those of IV3 NeuAcnLc4Cer, IV3 NeuAcII3 NeuAcGg4Cer, and IV3 NeuAcII3 NeuAc2Gg4Cer. In addition, the monosialogangliosides, which became reactive with the autoantibodies after neuraminidase treatment, were found to be predominantly distributed on B cells from BALB/c mice spleen, but not on T cells by TLC immunostaining. These studies demonstrate that the majority of IgM autoantibodies to spleen lymphocytes in sera from NZB mice might react preferentially to terminal sugar residues of three new glycosphingolipids masked by a single sialic acid on B cells, but not on T cells.     

Effect of ribonuclease and neuraminidase on the electrophoretic mobility of tissue culture cells in parasynchronous growth

Cultured mammalian cells (RPMI no. 41) in parasynchronous growth were treated, at different stages of the mitotic cycle, with neuraminidase and ribonuclease, separately and sequentially, and their electrophoretic mobilities determined. Changes in the electrophoretic mobility of these cells are probably mainly due to variations in the density of negatively charged groups susceptible to neuraminidase, although variations in groups susceptible to ribonuclease may occur. It is suggested that the observed variations in electrophoretic mobility of different cells may be due to differences in the relative lengths of different life-cycle phases. Where G₂ phase is relatively long or G₁ relatively short the cell populations will hve higher mean electrophoretic mobilities.     

Cytochalasin B and the sialic acids of Ehrlich ascites cells

The effect of cytochalasin B (CB) on the electrophoretic mobility and density of ionized sialic acid groups at the surface of Ehrlich ascites cells was examined together with a biochemical assay of the total sialic acid content of treated and control cells. Sialic acid assays indicated that CB-treated cells had a greater amount of total sialic acid and sialic acid sensitive to neuraminidase than control cells/cell. Equal amounts of sialic acid were removable by neuraminidase treatment from control cells and cells pretreated with neuraminidase and subsequently cultured with CB. The electrophoresis results showed a decrease in electrophoretic mobility in the presence of CB which could be reversed by growth in CB-free medium. Neuraminidase treatment did not make a significant additional reduction in the mobility of CB-treated cells. CB also prevented the recovery of electrophoretic mobility of neuraminidase treated cells. The results suggest that while CB does not inhibit sialic acid synthesis, it does alter the expression of ionized sialic acid groups at the electrokinetic surface. CB-containing culture media could be re-utilized several times suggesting that CB is not significantly bound or metabolized by Ehrlich ascites cells.     

Red cell aging. II. Anomalous electrophoretic properties of neuraminidase treated human erythrocytes.

Desialylation of human red blood cells (RBC) by Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase (VCN) was found to produce cells with electrophoretic properties which were inconsistent with the view of simple loss of N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) as the sole effect of VCN treatment. Modification of human RBC with 50--350 U VCN/10(10) RBC for one hour at 37 degrees C releases 90-100% of the NANA and produces a progressive decrease towards zero in their electrophoretic mobilities when measured in 0.15 M NaCl (pH 7.2) at 25 degrees C. The appearance of positive groups on the desialylated cells was indicated by the VCN-treated cells displaying positive mobilities below approximately pH 5.5 and increased negative mobilities at approximately pH 9 as well as substantial increases in their mobility at neutral pH following treatment with formaldehyde. Adsorption of about 95% of the VCN activity at 0 degrees C to the RBC did not produce any significant change in their electrophoretic mobilities thus indicating that the observed changes in the electrophoretic properties of the RBC following VCN treatment could not be attributable to adsorption of VCN. These studies indicate that the cationic charge groups which appear at the electrophoretic surface of the RBC after VCN treatment are probably of endogenous origin. It is suggested that this alteration rather than simple NANA release may operate to shorten the in vivo survival time of desialylated red cells.     

Human class I histocompatibility antigens (HLA-A,B,C). A small proportion only is phosphorylated

Human Class I HLA antigens (HLA-A,B,C) were isolated by immune precipitation from cells labelled with 32P, [35S]methionine or 125I (by lactoperoxidase-catalysed cell-surface iodination) and were analysed using both one- and two-dimensional electrophoretic systems. In several B-lymphoblastoid cell lines and in human peripheral blood lymphocytes the electrophoretic mobility of the 32P-labelled HLA-A,B,C heavy chains consistently differed from that of molecules labelled by other means. Thus the 32P-labelled heavy chains appeared to be larger and to possess a more acidic pI than did heavy chains labelled with [35S]methionine or 125I, or identified by Coomassie Blue staining. Phosphatase treatment of immunoprecipitates, under conditions where 32P-labelled antigens were shown to be dephosphorylated, did not affect the mobilities of the [35S]methionine-labelled heavy chains. On glycosidase treatment, the positions of the 32P-labelled heavy chains were affected by neuraminidase but not by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H. These results imply that phosphorylated HLA-A,B,C antigens comprise only a small proportion (relative to the total cellular HLA-A,B,C antigens) of the biosynthetically mature molecules. The possible significance of such heterogeneity is discussed.     

The separation of different cell classes from lymphoid organs. X. Preparative electrophoretic separation of lymphocyte sub-populations from mouse spleen and thoracic duct lymph

Conditions have been established for the separation of viable mouse lymphoid cells by continuous free-buffer film preparative electrophoresis. The detailed electrophoretic distribution profiles of T and B lymphocytes from mouse spleen and thoracic duct have been determined. Cell surface θ-antigen was used as a marker for T cells, and high surface-density of immunoglobulin as a marker for B cells. Spleen cells from athymic “nude” mice were also studied. In the unselected normal spleen cell populations B lymphocytes are heterogeneous, about 60% being of low mobility with the remainder distributing broadly, and extending into the highest mobility fractions. T lymphocytes are predominantly of high mobility. Lymphoid cells lacking markers of either the B or T lineage are of intermediate mobility. There is only partial separation of T and B cells because of the extensive overlap between the populations. The high mobility B cells, which separate along with T cells, include a substantial proportion of large cells, and include cells with high surface density of immunoglobulin. The majority of these large B cells can be selectively eliminated by their adherence on passage through a glass-bead column. By pre-selecting the 50% non-adherent lymphocytes from spleen as the starting material, a very sharp and more extensive separation of B and T cells can be achieved, with 100% pure B cells and 90% pure T cells in many fractions. However these samples are not representative of the total T and B cell populations of spleen. In thoracic duct lymph high mobility B-cells are absent, there is little overlap between T and B cell mobility. 100% pure T and B cells can be isolated.     

Biophysical characterization of peyer’s patch lymphocytes in the B-cell deficient CBA/N mice and in their F1 hybrids

CBA/N mice bear an X-linked immunodeficiency involving abnormalities of their B lymphocytes. We investigated the electrophoretic mobility (EPM) distribution and the electronic volume of the Peyer's patch (PP) cells of these mice in comparison with those of the immunologically normal CBA/J mice. The same studies were also carried out on PP cells from the CBA/N×DBA/2 (CND2) F1 hybrid males and females that are, respectively, B-cell defective and normal. In all types of mice, PP cells could be separated by free-flow electrophoresis into a low-mobility (LM) population corresponding mainly to B cells and high-mobility (HM) population containing mostly T cells. However, while in the control mice LM (B) cells accounted for around 60–67% of PP lymphocytes, this population did not exceed 40% in the defective animals. Furthermore, LM (B) cells, but not HM (T) cells, of CBA/N and CND2 male mice were found to display abnormal physical characteristics. Thus, they possessed a higher anodic EPM (two electrophoretic fractions faster) and a slightly larger model size (134 μm³) than normal adult B cells (122–124 μm³). Similar differences were observed with PP lymphocyte preparations enriched for B cells by nylon wool adherence. These data suggest that CBA/N mice and their defective hybrids lack a population of small B lymphocytes with low anodic EPM.     

Sialoglycoproteins and sialoglycolipids contribute to the negative surface charge of epimastigote and trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi

Epimastigote and trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi have a net negative surface charge, as determined by direct measurement of the mean cellular electrophoretic mobility. Treatment of the parasites with neuraminidase reduces by 17 and 52% the mean electrophoretic mobility of epimastigote and bloodstream trypomastigote forms, respectively. Neuraminidase-treated cells recover their normal electrophoretic mobility if incubated for 2 h in the presence of fresh culture medium. The recovering process of epimastigotes is almost totally blocked by addition of inhibitors of either protein synthesis (puromycin) or N-glycosidically linked glycoprotein synthesis (tunicamycin). The recovering process of trypomastigotes is not totally inhibited by either puromycin or tunicamycin. Treatment of T. cruzi with trypsin reduces by 11 and 40% the mean electrophoretic mobility of epimastigote and bloodstream trypomastigote forms. Trypsin-treated cells recover their normal electrophoretic mobility if incubated for 4 h in fresh culture medium. The recovering process of trypomastigotes is partially inhibited by puromycin. The results obtained indicate that sialoglycoproteins and sialoglycolipids exist on the surface of T. cruzi, the latter being predominant on the surface of trypomastigotes.     

Separation of T and B lymphocytes from various mouse strains by density gradient electrophoresis.

T and B mouse spleen lymphocytes were separated by density gradient electrophoresis on the basis of their surface charge. In all strains examined, the T lymphocytes were found in the high mobility fractions and the B in the low. The T and B cells were separated completely in most fractions, with some overlapping in the middle. Significant differences were found in the electrophoretic distribution profiles between the strains: C57BL/6j, C57BL/10j, (BALB/cXC57BL/6j)F1, and all the following: B6.C-H-2d/cBy (congenic to C57BL/6j), BALB/c, CBA/H/T6j, C57BL/10Sn, and C3H. The C57BL/6j and the (BALB/cXC57BL/6j)F1 cells appear more heterogeneous as far as electrophoretic mobility is concerned. Almost all the other strains give two major peaks. Moreover, the high mobility areas are less populated in the C57BL/6j and the (BALB/cXC57BL/6j)F1 animals than in all the others. The above differences were found consistently when cells prepared by different methods were electrophoresed. It is concluded that the surface charge of lymphocytes may be genetically determined. Possible dependency on the H-2 complex or non-H-2 areas is discussed.     

Specific resistance and electrophoretic mobility of regenerating liver cells. Effect of ribonuclease and neuraminidase]

Changes of specific resistance and electrophoretic mobility of the cells from regenerative liver of rats are investigated. It is shown that specific resistance decreases and electrophoretic mobility increases during 30 h after hepathectomy. Exogenous ribonuclease decreases electrophoretic mobility by 10% and does not reduce significantly specific resistance. Neuraminidase treatment caused a marked increase (approximately 40%) of specific resistance without reduction in the mobility of cells from both intact and regenerative liver. It is concluded that there is no difference in the sensitivity of the cell surface of normal and regenerative liver to ribonuclease and neuraminidase.     

A study of the cell surface of tumour, foetal and lymph-node cells by cell electrophoresis after antibody and enzymic treatment

1. Rabbit anti-(rat foetal liver) serum, absorbed with adult rat liver cells, decreased the electrophoretic mobility of foetal liver cells by 51% and rat hepatoma cells by 45%, indicating the presence of a foetal-type antigen on the hepatoma cell membrane. 2. The chemical nature of the surface antigen was investigated. Incubation with neuraminidase had no effect on adult liver cells but decreased the electrophoretic mobility of foetal liver cells by 51% and of hepatoma cells by 34%; the effect of antiserum was decreased to one-fifth. 3. Sialic acid, or the supernatant from neuraminidase-treated cells, partially blocked the decrease in electrophoretic mobility induced by antiserum. 4. The pH-electrophoretic mobility curves of hepatoma cells treated with antisera were consistent with a sialic acidcontaining antigen on the surface of the tumour cells. 5. Treatment with ribonuclease did not decrease the electrophoretic mobility of adult-liver cells, but decreased that of the foetal liver cells by 17% and hepatoma cells by 29%. 6. In parallel studies made with mouse BP8 ascites-tumour cells ribonuclease decreased the electrophoretic mobility by 39%, that of normal mouse lymph-node cells by 4.8% and allergized mouse lymph-node cells by 13.3%. 7. Trypsin treatment also decreased the electrophoretic mobility of hepatoma cells by 22%.     

Separation of T and B lymphocytes from various mouse strains by density gradient electrophoresis

T and B mouse spleen lymphocytes were separated by density gradient electrophoresis on the basis of their surface charge. In all strains examined, the T lymphocytes were found in the high mobility fractions and the B in the low. The T and B cells were separated completely in most fractions, with some overlapping in the middle. Significant differences were found in the electrophoretic distribution profiles between the strains: C57BL/6j, C57BL/10j, (BALB/cXC57BL/6j)F₁, and all the following: B₆·C-H-2^d/cBy (congenic to C57BL/6j), BALB/c, CBA/H/T6j, C57BL/10Sn, and C3H. The C57BL/6j and the (BALB/cXC57BL/6j)F₁ cells appear more heterogeneous as far as electrophoretic mobility is concerned. Almost all the other strains give two major peaks. Moreover, the high mobility areas are less populated in the C57BL/6j and the (BALB/cXC57BL/6j)F₁ animals than in all the others. The above differences were found consistently when cells prepared by different methods were electrophoresed. It is concluded that the surface charge of lymphocytes may be genetically determined. Possible dependency on the H-2 complex or non-H-2 areas is discussed.     

Comparison of two pig intestinal brush border peptidases with the corresponding renal enzymes.

Intestinal dipeptidyl peptidase IV and gamma-glutamyltransferase were compared to the corresponding kidney enzymes with respect to immunological and electrophoretic properties. The influences of selected effectors on the two enzymes were also studied. The two kidney peptidases exhibited the reaction of total identity with the corresponding intestinal enzymes in immunodiffusion. Furthermore, the intestinal dipeptidyl peptidase IV and gamma-glutamyl transferase showed the same inhibition patterns as the corresponding kidney enzymes and the acceptor specificity of the intestinal gamma-glutamyl-transferase was found to be identical to that of the kidney enzyme. The electrophoretic mobilities of dipeptidyl peptidase IV from the two organs differed greatly. The difference was almost abolished by treatment with neuraminidase, suggesting that the variation in mobility was due to different contents of sialic acid. It is suggested that the intestinal brush border peptidases, dipeptidyl peptidase IV and gamma-glutamyltransferase, are closely related to the corresponding enzymes obtained from the kidney.     

Study of electrophoretic mobility of cellular membranes isolated from rat liver.

Plasma membranes as well as mitochondrial and microsomal subfractions were subjected to zone electrophoresis. Treatment with neuraminidase, phospholipase A or C does not influence the movement of plasma membranes and smooth microsomes. Trypsin increases mobility of plasma membranes and smooth by about 20%, and further treatment with phospholipase C decreases mobility of plasma membranes, total smooth and smooth I microsomes, which, however, is not the case with smooth II microsomes. Low concentrations of trypsin also solubilize enzyme proteins of smooth microsomes from phenobarbital-treated rat liver, but electrophoretic mobility is not increased, indicating structural differences in induced membranes. The mobility of the outer and inner mitochondrial membranes is significantly higher than that of submitochondrial particles. For microsomes the negative surface charge density occurs in the decreasing order of: ribosomes--rough--smooth I--smooth II. A 10 mM CsCl gradient decreases the mobility of rough microsomes by 40% and of ribosomes by 20% but has no effect on total smooth micromes. On the other hand, 5mM MgCl2 decreased the mobility of all three fractions. EDTA-treated rough and EDTA-treated smooth microsomes have the same electrophoretic mobilities. However, the mobilities of non-treated rough and smooth microsomes differ significantly from each other.     

Analysis of electrophoretic mobility histograms of mouse splenocytes and thymocytes during tumor growth and after combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy

Changes in electrophoretic mobility histograms of splenocytes and thymocytes were studied in plasmacytoma X5563-bearing mice as an indicator of response to treatment with mitomycin C (MMC) alone or combined with the immunomodulator Krestin (PSK). Tumor growth was inhibited by 80-90% in the MMC-treated and was further inhibited in the MMC and PSK-treated group. Electrophoretic mobility histograms of splenocytes were used to determine the fraction of cells having intermediate mobility between high mobility (T cells) and low mobility (B cells). This fraction of intermediate-mobility cells increased in tumor-bearing mice, but a normal electrophoretic mobility pattern was obtained following successful antitumor treatment. In the electrophoretic mobility histogram of thymocytes, on the other hand, the low-mobility cells (cortical thymocytes) decreased in number during tumor growth and were further reduced in the MMC-treated group. This reduction was less in the MMC and PSK-treated group. These results suggest that combined therapy with MMC and PSK prevents damage of the host defence mechanism and allows more efficient antitumor treatment. Analysis of electrophoretic mobility histograms of splenocytes and thymocytes using a fully automated cell electrophoretic instrument makes possible the rapid evaluation of the immunological effects of drug therapy of tumor-bearing mice.     

On the mechanism of binding of human lymphocyte products to guinea pig macrophages.

When lymphocytes from a majority of patients with cancer are incubated with encephalitogenic factor, a lymphocyte product is released that reduces the anodic electrophoretic mobilities of guinea pig macrophages and fixed, tanned sheep erythrocytes. Although these reactions are not specific for cancer, it is distinctly possible that in patients with cancer, products from stimulated lymphocytes are capable of altering the surfaces of the patients' own macrophages, thereby modifying the course of their disease. In this paper, we attempt to elucidate some mechanisms for the binding of lymphocyte products to macrophages, such as occurs in the macrophage electrophoretic mobility (MEM) test, since this may be of general interest. Binding of lymphocyte product to macrophages has been monitored by measurements of their electrophoretic mobilities and by electron microscopic determination of the density of binding of electron-dense, cationic colloidal iron hydroxide particles to their surfaces. The results show that the lymphocyte products reduce the net surface negativity of the macrophages by (coulombic) binding of this net positively charged material to sialic acids at the macrophage surface. Product-binding can be prevented by prior treatment of the macrophages with neuraminidase. It appears that only a minority of sialic acids are involved in the binding process, which occurs without demonstrable blocking of adjacent sialic acids or redistribution of such sites over the macrophage surface. Parallel experiments with fixed tanned erythrocytes also suggest that binding of lymphocyte product is not solely determined by surface sialic acids, although it cannot occur without them.     

On the mechanism of binding of human lymphocyte products to guinea pig macrophages

When lymphocytes from a majority of patients with cancer are incubated with encephalitogenic factor, a lymphocyte product is released that reduces the anodic electrophoretic mobilities of guinea pig macrophages and fixed, tanned sheep erythrocytes. Although these reactions are not specific for cancer, it is distinctly possible that in patients with cancer, products from stimulated lymphocytes are capable of altering the surfaces of the patients' own macrophages, thereby modifying the course of their disease. In this paper, we attempt to elucidate some mechanisms for the binding of lymphocyte products to macrophages, such as occurs in the macrophage electrophoretic mobility (MEM) test, since this may be of general interest. Binding of lymphocyte product to macrophages has been monitored by measurements of their electrophoretic mobilities and by electron microscopic determination of the density of binding of electron-dense, cationic colloidal iron hydroxide particles to their surfaces. The results show that the lymphocyte products reduce the net surface negativity of the macrophages by (coulombic) binding of this net positively charged material to sialic acids at the macrophage surface. Product-binding can be prevented by prior treatment of the macrophages with neuraminidase. It appears that only a minority of sialic acids are involved in the binding process, which occurs without demonstrable blocking of adjacent sialic acids or redistribution of such sites over the macrophage surface. Parallel experiments with fixed tanned erythrocytes also suggest that binding of lymphocyte products is not solely determined by surface sialic acids, although it cannot occur without them.