| Abstract: | Being purified by gel filtration and reverse phase HPLC the thymocyte growth factor from the supernatant of the cell line of intrathymic precursors of T-lymphocytes can stimulate the growth of splenocytes and thymocytes nonactivated by mitogen. Addition of suboptimal doses of mitogen or phorbol myristate acetate does not enhance the cell response to the thymocyte growth factor. The thymocyte growth factor in capable of stimulating the growth of thymocytes synergistically with interleukin-2, but the direct action of the thymocyte growth factor is not mediated by the production and reception of interleukin-2 and interleukin-4. |
