Mechanisms of Action of Antigen.
Abstract
A major advance has been the quantitation of IgG and IgM immunoglobulins present in the plasma membranes of thymic lymphocytes which have been considered until now to lack membrane immunoglobulin. The import of this finding is that the evidence for thymic lymphocytes as antigen-reactive cells is consistent with the postulate of immunoglobulin as cell receptor for antigen. Evidence for surface immunoglobulin on thymic lymphocytes was lacking because of (a) the failure of surface iodination to label more than a small fraction of thymic lymphocyte immunoglobulin and (b) the markedly greater efficiency of iodination or peripheral lymphocytes compared to thympic lymphocytes. We have selectively extracted thymic lymphocyte glycoproteins using the lithium diiodosalicylate method. This method of extraction has been shown to be highly efficient for glycoproteins in particular and recent results have demonstrated that thymus specific antigen is enriched in these extracts. We have found in thymus lymphocytes that two proteins of approximately 30,000 and 15,000 daltons rapidly incorporate amino acids and have a half-line of approximately 6 hours. These proteins are being identified by immunochemical methods already developed in the laboratory.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA068431
Entities
People
- Thomas J. Gill Iii
Organizations
- University of Pittsburgh