RESUMO
Bone marrow-enhancing factor (B-EF) is the spontaneous product of whole bone marrow cells cultured in serum-free medium for a short term (24-48 hr). The factor is prepared by ultrafiltration of BMC supernates to yield a preparation with a MW of greater than 10,000. Production of the factor is not dependent upon antigenic or mitogenic stimulation of BMC, but is inhibited by treatment of BMC with cycloheximide. B-EF augments the in vitro primary PFC response to SRBC, as well as in vitro secondary IgM and IgG PFC responses to SRBC. Enhancement by B-EF is antigen dependent, genetically nonrestricted, and maximal when present at the initiation of culture. B-EF cannot induce a polyclonal antibody response like the polyclonal activator LPS. B-EF is directly mitogenic for thymocytes, bone marrow, and whole spleen cells, but fails to act as a costimulator of thymocyte proliferation in the presence of Con A. B-EF cannot support the growth of the IL-2-dependent cell line CTLL-2. Since B-EF has not been purified, the supernatant may contain more than one activity. The factor is heat labile at 65 degrees C and is sensitive to enzymatic digestion with trypsin and neuraminidase; this implies that B-EF may be a glycoprotein.