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Identification of Human T Cells that Require Zinc for Growth
Author(s) -
MILLER G. G.,
STRITTMATTER W. J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1992.tb03099.x
Subject(s) - identification (biology) , zinc , biology , computational biology , chemistry , ecology , organic chemistry
Zinc is an essential trace clement required for normal tunction of Ihe immune system. Deficiency of zinc results in marked thymic atrophy in experimental animals, and in man immunodeficiency is a recognized complication of zinc deprivation. Althoug numerous proteins require zinc as a cofactor, its precise functions in the immune system remain unknown. The mechanism by which metals stimulate lymphocytes, whether all T cells are responsive, and the relationship to zinc requirements have not been determined. We unexpectedly isolated a number of human T‐cell lines that have a highly specific requirement for zinc. The ability to respond to zinc resides in only a subset of T cells since antigen‐specific clones are not stimulated by zinc. Although proliferation requires the presence of antigen‐presenting cells and is restricted by class II MHC antigens, antigen‐presenting cells could not be pulsed with zinc to induce T‐cell activation. Our results suggest that zinc‐dependent T cells are a subset of CD4 + cells present in all normal individuals and that zinc stimulates their growth by novel mechanisms.