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The surface phenotype of activated T lymphocytes
Author(s) -
Kelly Katherine,
Shortman Ken,
Scollay Roland
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
immunology and cell biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0818-9641
DOI - 10.1038/icb.1988.39
Subject(s) - ionomycin , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , il 2 receptor , t lymphocyte , cd8 , interleukin 2 , peanut agglutinin , cd3 , antigen , receptor expression , receptor , t cell , monoclonal antibody , chemistry , antibody , immunology , endocrinology , stimulation , immune system , biochemistry , lectin
Summary The surface phenotype of T cells reflects both their relative maturity and their activation slate. To determine the pattern of surface markers characteristic of activated T cells, purified mature T cells were stimulated in vitro for periods of 0·5–5 days with Concanavalin‐A (Con‐A) or phorbol myristic acetate (PMA) and ionomycin, fluorescein‐labelled with monoclonal antibodies, then analysed by flow cytometry. The level of expression of the function‐associated antigens CD4 (L3T4) and CD8 (Ly‐2) decreased transiently early after activation with PMA/ionomycin, but not after stimulation with Con‐A. Both stimuli caused a small drop in the level of CD3 and the T cell antigen receptor (TCR). At no time was CD3, CD4 or CD8 completely lost from the surface. Following activation Pgp‐1, the interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) receptor (as detected by the monoclonal antibody 7D4) and the peanut agglutinin (PNA) receptor were gained by a proportion of cells, MEL‐14 was lost by a proportion of cells, and no change was observed in the expression of heat stable antigen. Thy‐1 or Ly‐1. From the present data no evidence has been found for the generation of the ‘immature’, CD4 − CD8 − phenotype found in the thymus by activation of mature T cells. During T cell development, however, changes in expression of Pgp‐1, MEL‐14, the IL‐2 receptor and the PNA receptor may be associated with activation, rather than differentiation per se .