Addition of supernatants from concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated spleen cells enable nude spleen cells to respond in vitro to a variety of antigens (in our experiments, sheep (SRBC) and horse erythrocytes (HRBC)). Experiments presented here, indicate that such nonspecific helper supernatants are in fact a polyclonal mixture of diverse, specific activities. Con A stimulation of thoracic duct lymphocytes, specifically depleted of SRBC or HRBC-reactive cells by the Sprent technique, results in a specific decrease in the activity to the relevant antigen. On the one hand, Con A stimulation of in vivo activated thymocytes results in the production of helper supernatants which are almost totally specific for the antigen used in priming.In spite of these indications of specificity, it has been impossible to absorb out helper activity from normal Con A supernatants on the corresponding antigen. Specific removal of helper activity, however, can readily be achieved by absorbing helper supernatants on complexes of antigen and early immune sera. Various control experiments demonstrate that the loss of activity in the absorbed supernatants is not due to carry-over of antibody into the test cultures. Furthermore, the fraction of helper activity that can be specifically removed on antigen-antibody complexes depends on the conditions used in the preparation of the supernatants; this fraction is highest when Con A activation of T cells is performed in the presence of B cells without antigen .These results suggest that "nonspecific helper factors" are a mixture of diverse molecules, some of which show specificity for variable regions of antibodies.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.