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Immunoglobulin messenger RNAs of T lymphocytes
- Source :
- Molecular immunology. 17(7)
- Publication Year :
- 1980
-
Abstract
- The potential of T cells to synthesize immunoglobulins was investigated in thymus cells obtained from young mice. Such thymocytes contained very low levels of B cell contamination. It was found by hybridization of thymus RNA with complementary DNAs (cDNAs) synthesized from myeloma κ and H chain mRNAs that these T cells contain relatively large amounts of κ, μ, and at RNAs. RNAs for γ1 and γ2b seem to be absent. The Ig RNAs of thymus form stable hybrids with B cell derived cDNAs and are present at levels comparable (50%) to those found for the same RNAs in spleen. The thymic κ RNA is of the same size as B cell κ RNA. It is present in 99% of thymus cells as shown by in situ hybridization. The T cell κ RNA is a true messenger RNA, since (1) it is translatable into κ chains in a cell free system and (2) it is found to be enriched in the protein synthetic apparatus of membrane bound and free polyribosomes within T cells. Kappa and H chain mRNAs were also found to be translated by live T cells in short term culture. After activation by concanavalin A, thymus cells doubled the synthesis of immunoglobulins, while the initially very low numbers of contaminating B lymphocytes and plasma cells were further reduced 10- to 30-fold. The combined experimental evidence strongly indicates that T cells have the potential for the synthesis of immunoglobulins which may have receptor and effector functions. The question of whether T cell Igs are truly identical to B cell Igs is discussed in light of findings of our and other laboratories.
- Subjects :
- T cell
T-Lymphocytes
Immunology
Immunoglobulins
In situ hybridization
Biology
Mice
medicine
Concanavalin A
Cytotoxic T cell
Animals
RNA, Messenger
Molecular Biology
B cell
Cells, Cultured
Messenger RNA
B-Lymphocytes
Mice, Inbred BALB C
RNA
Nucleic Acid Hybridization
DNA
Molecular biology
medicine.anatomical_structure
biology.protein
Antibody
Subcellular Fractions
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 01615890
- Volume :
- 17
- Issue :
- 7
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Molecular immunology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....403db052445567bbca631231787057e7