Improved efficiency of hybridoma ascites production by intrasplenic inoculation in mice.

Intrasplenic inoculation of small numbers (10(4)) of antibody-producing hybridoma cells into unprimed BALB/c mice resulted in high-titered ascites. By intrasplenic injection, the low number of cells needed to produce ascites was 2-3 logs fewer than that required by ip inoculation. Hybridoma cells suspended in the ascitic fluid could be reestablished in vitro. Furthermore, cells obtained directly from individual, cloned colonies or from previously frozen samples also resulted in high-titered ascites, if the cells were inoculated intrasplenically. This method reduces time and expense required to grow large numbers of hybridoma cells for ip-derived ascites production and allows ready recovery of frequently unstable frozen-thawed cells.

Transcriptional regulation of mu and delta gene expression in bone marrow pre-B and B lymphocytes.

Newly formed B cells first express IgM and subsequently display IgD on the cell surface. This is an ontologically, as well as developmentally, regulated process because IgD is virtually absent on neonatal splenic B cells. In the present studies we have examined, by means of nascent RNA chain labeling, the relative levels of mu to delta gene transcription in bone marrow B cells, pre-B cells, and earlier progenitors of B cells. Pre-B cells were obtained from Whitlock-type long term cultures of bone marrow cells from normal and C.B17 scid mice. Both populations were found to transcribe the delta gene at very low but detectable levels. A similarly low level of delta transcription was found to occur in surface IgM-positive cells from both cultured and freshly isolated bone marrow B cells. In all populations analyzed, termination of the majority of polymerases occurred within a discrete 1-kb region located between the microM and C delta I exons. Analysis of steady state RNA indicated that long term cultured bone marrow cells from normal mice produced both 2.7-kb normal sized microM mRNA as well as 2.9-kb aberrantly spliced I mu-mRNA, whereas those from C.B17 scid mice contained only aberrant sized mu-mRNA. In contrast to these results, our previous findings with spleen cells obtained from both neonatal and adult animals showed that delta gene transcription occurs at a relatively high level. Therefore, it is possible that activation of regulatory signals that allow polymerases to progress beyond the termination site 3' of the microM exons may occur when newly formed B cells migrate from the bone marrow to the splenic environment.

Development and ontogeny of hamster T cell subpopulations.

The Syrian hamster is unique among laboratory animals because products of class I MHC genes are monomorphic. Thus, this species may be a model in which to test the relationship between MHC polymorphism and the T cell antigen receptor repertoire. Recently, cytotoxic and helper T cell subpopulations have been distinguished on the basis of cell surface phenotype detected with monoclonal antibodies (mAb). We used these reagents (mAb 110 detects all peripheral T cells and mAb 38 detects cytotoxic T cells) to dissect and categorize thymic populations according to relative maturational status. The two mAb divide thymocytes into four subpopulations in the young adult. Two (110+ 38+, 110+ 38-) were peripheral-like and were housed in the medulla, exclusively; another subset (110- 38+) consisted almost entirely of TdT+ cortical thymocytes. The fourth subset (110- 38-), bearing neither marker, was heterogeneous and consisted mostly of medium-large-size thymocytes, including cells with an early phenotype (nuclear TdT+). Cells with the cortical phenotype proved to be the most sensitive to cortisone treatment, whereas those which expressed the medullary marker, 110, were most resistant. To ascertain the relationship between 110- and 110+ T lineage cells, we followed the appearance of the four thymic subpopulations during ontogeny of the hamster thymus. Adult-like thymic architecture (delineation of cortex and medulla) as well as the two 110- subsets were established before expression of 110 antigen was apparent in the thymus. However, lymphocytes bearing the 110 antigen were found in lymph nodes prior to thymus during ontogeny, concomitant with developing T cell function in peripheral tissue. This finding implies that cells lacking 110 antigen were exported from the thymus and subsequently acquired expression of the molecule in the periphery, and we suggest that acquisition of 110 antigen may be a stage of postthymic maturation. Although 110+ cells appeared to be the most mature subset by several criteria, all functional thymocytes of adults or neonates were not 110+. Thus, we conclude that the 110 marker is acquired after T cells reach functional maturity. Moreover, the response profile of isolated 38+ thymocytes was analogous to peripheral 38+ T cells, suggesting that the dichotomy of function detected with our mAb also occurs before acquisition of 110 antigen. We have modeled what is known about hamster T cell development into a hypothetical scheme.

Enrichment of primary lymphocyte-supporting stromal cells and characterization of associated B lymphocyte progenitors.

Studies of Whitlock/Witte long-term bone marrow cultures have revealed the necessity of two cell types for B lymphopoiesis, a stem cell and the stromal cell. While a number of stromal cell lines exist they have been found to be heterogeneous with respect to cell surface marker expression and growth factor production. Separation and analysis of fresh bone marrow stromal cells is, therefore, necessary to understand the regulation of lymphopoiesis in vivo. Here we report the early stages of such studies. We demonstrate that stromal cells, as assessed by morphology and alkaline phosphatase reactivity after short-term culture, are enriched in cellular aggregates that can be separated from bone marrow suspensions. Stromal cells are present in aggregates at a frequency of one per thousand cells, whereas marrow from which the aggregates have been removed contains only one stromal cell per fifty-thousand cells. These aggregates are able to form Whitlock cultures from greatly reduced numbers of initiating cells, indicating that they contain culturable B lineage precursors as well as stromal cells capable of supporting B lymphopoiesis. The aggregates appear to be naturally formed and provide a means to examine native B cell precursor-stromal cell contacts. We find little evidence for sequestering of late-stage B cell precursors within the aggregates. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-positive cells, on the other hand, are approximately three times more frequent in bone marrow aggregates, suggesting close contact between very early B cell progenitors and stromal cells within the aggregates. The finding that stromal cells are enriched in cellular aggregates is an important first step in the ultimate isolation of these cells from marrow suspensions, which is vital to understanding stromal cell function in vivo.

Monoclonal antibodies to hamster class II MHC molecules distinguish T and B cells.

Monoclonal antibodies were prepared against cell surface antigens present on Syrian hamster lymphocytes and a hamster B cell lymphoma line, GD-36. One of these antibodies, S11, precipitated glycoproteins of 29,000 and 39,000 m.w. These glycoproteins were shown to be identical to or a subset of la-like glycoproteins precipitated by hamster alloantisera; however, molecules identified by S11 differed from the predominant hamster la homologues detected with a cross-reactive monoclonal antibody to murine la.7. The immunofluorescence pattern of both anti-la reagents, S11 and anti-la.7, on hamster lymphoid cells is similar by fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. A subpopulation of spleen and lymph node cells stains brightly with these antibodies. By two-color fluorescence, this peripheral lymphocyte subpopulation, identified with monoclonal anti-hamster la, also bears surface immunoglobulin (IgM). These data strongly suggest that hamster resting peripheral B cells, and not T cells, express la antigens and can be identified and isolated differentially by using this marker.

Thy-1 antigen is present on B and T lymphocytes of the Syrian hamster.

A widely used murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) to the Thy-1.2 allele and a highly absorbed xenoantiserum to hamster thymocytes bind to all thymocytes and a subpopulation of peripheral lymphoid cells of the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus). The mAb appears to detect the hamster Thy-1 homologue because hamster and mouse brain tissue each completely absorb the reactivity to hamster lymphocytes. Previous studies suggested that anti-Thy-1.2 identifies hamster T lymphocytes exclusively. Fluorescence analysis, however, demonstrates a large overlap of Thy-1.2+ and slg+ lymph node and spleen cells. Moreover, highly enriched (greater than 97%) Thy-1+ lymph node cells are greater than 50% slg+, give enhanced proliferative responses to LPS and anti-Ig in vitro, and reexpress normal amounts of slg 18 to 24 hr after Ig is removed from the cell surface. Thus, the hamster Thy-1 homologue is distributed not only on T cells but also on the majority of resting, peripheral B cells, and therefore cannot be utilized adequately as a T cell-specific marker in this species.

Effects of 5-fluorouracil on B lymphocyte lineage cells.

The aim of these studies was to determine the sensitivity of B lymphocyte lineage precursor cells in mice to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Selective effects could be very helpful in dissecting precursor-product relationships between these and the rare multipotential stem cells from which they derive. Numbers and functions of particular types of cells were determined at intervals after a single treatment (3 mg) and, as expected, myeloid-committed stem cells were very severely affected. Day 8 spleen colony-forming cells (CFU-S) and colony-stimulating factor-responsive macrophage progenitors were reduced by 98% within 24 hr, whereas presumptive early stem cells (day 14 CFU-S) were much more resistant. B cells, which were probably recently formed in bone marrow and which are not thought to be actively dividing, were also 5-FU-sensitive, but perhaps less so than pre-B cells and immunoglobulin-negative lymphocytes bearing a B lineage marker. Approximately 5 wk were required for the normal cellular composition of marrow to return to normal. Transplantation of marrow from 5-FU-treated mice suggested that the slow regeneration of B lymphocytes might partially result from residual drug effects or damage to microenvironmental elements which are required for B lineage differentiation. Acute reductions of lymphocytes in the thymus were also documented, and the larger cells declined most rapidly and regenerated most slowly in that tissue. Of particular interest was the differential susceptibility of B cells in various lymphoid tissues to 5-FU. Whereas lymph node B cells were minimally affected, one-half of the splenic B cells disappeared within 48 hr of drug injection. Intrinsic differences in 5-FU sensitivity were confirmed by treatment of lymphocytes in vitro, and this suggests that particular B cell sets may be metabolically distinct. This drug should find additional experimental application in studies of B lymphocyte formation and functional heterogeneity.

Activity of stem cell factor and IL-7 in combination on normal bone marrow B lineage cells.

The production of B cells is regulated by soluble and cell contact signals presumably provided by bone marrow stromal cells. Among these is IL-7, a well characterized proliferative stimulus for a subset of pre-B cells. Stem cell factor (SCF), a stromal cell-derived cytokine with broad hemopoietic effects, has been reported to synergize with IL-7 to drive the proliferation and differentiation of B220- bone marrow cells into B220+ B cell precursors in long term culture. A subsequent report has cast doubt on this result by showing that SCF and IL-7 were incapable of producing mu+ pre-B cells after short term culture. Here, using the cell sorter to assure discrete separation of B220+ and B220- cells followed by soft agar culture to prevent interaction with accessory cells, we demonstrate that the combination of SCF and IL-7 does not stimulate the expansion or differentiation of B220- lymphoid precursors but can act synergistically in the clonal proliferation of B220+ cells.

Interculture variation and evolution of B lineage lymphocytes in long-term bone marrow culture.

A recently described long-term culture system offers a unique experimental approach for dissecting regulatory mechanisms that control the developmental progression of B-lineage lymphocytes. Lymphoid cells, including B cells and their precursors, can be maintained for prolonged periods in strict dependence on a layer of adherent cells. However, before this system can yield to interpretable manipulation, much information is needed as to the identity and temporal phenotypic stability of both lymphoid and nonlymphoid cells. The findings reported here provide answers to some of those important questions. Successful establishment of lymphoid cells in culture was extraordinarily dependent on the batch of fetal calf serum used in the medium, and some undesirable serum lots supported cultures that were virtually all myeloid. With standardized culture conditions, various populations of lymphoid cells were identified on the basis of B-lineage differentiation markers and culture to culture variation was assessed. Lymphocytes that were firmly attached to the adherent cells were carefully compared to nonadherent lymphocytes in terms of cycle status, phenotype, size, and transferrin receptor expression. They were essentially identical in all of these respects and a partitioning of proliferating cells and their progeny in the cultures was therefore not apparent. It is also noteworthy that although a high mitotic rate was maintained, a majority of the cells were small lymphocytes. The outgrowth of identifiable B-lineage cells (detected with monoclonal 14.8 antibodies) in replicate cultures was initially similar, but the extent of interculture variation increased dramatically during the period 4-6 weeks after initiation of culture. Replicate cultures established from the same marrow cell pool often differed as much as 20-fold in numbers of 14.8-positive cells. After this time, the composition of individual cultures evolved much more gradually, and numbers of B cells and pre-B cells remained relatively constant. This indicates that subsets of lymphocytes become established in each culture dish during a discrete phase. At least two types of supporting adherent cells predominated in these cultures: typical macrophages and very large, nonphagocytic cells resembling adventitial reticular cells. The latter included subpopulations resolved on the basis of alkaline phosphatase content. In contrast to the lymphoid populations, proportions of these adherent cell types were relatively invariant among replicate cultures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The xid mutation affects hemopoiesis in long term cultures of murine bone marrow.

Cells of the humoral immune system are particularly affected by a mutation at the X chromosome linked immunodeficiency disease (xid)locus. Although B cells are made in normal numbers, they fail to become phenotypically and functionally diverse. Consequently, poor antibody responses are mounted to certain types of Ag. There have been some indications that other types of hemopoietic cells may be influenced by the mutation and development of the humoral immune system is unusually dependent on the presence of T lymphocytes. We now describe an analysis of the lympho-hemopoietic environment studied with long term bone marrow cultures. Contrary to expectations, cultures initiated with cells from homozygous female or hemizygous male mice with the mutant allele established more quickly than normal. The accelerated initial growth pattern was clearly linked to the xid mutation. Artificial mixtures of marrow exhibited intermediate growth kinetics. Experiments with H-2 congenic and T6 chromosome marked cells did not reveal an intrinsic dominance of growth in nonadherent xid cells. Similar results were obtained with culture conditions which favored production of myeloid or lymphoid cells. These findings would be consistent with subtle changes in the bone marrow microenvironment resulting from the xid mutation. The pedigree of the mouse strains had a significant influence on lymphopoiesis in long term bone marrow cultures. Lymphocytes of BALB/c origin dominated over CBA/H background cells in cultures established from mixtures of the two, but this did not correlate with any functional deficiency in CBA/H stromal cells. In fact, establishment of an adherent layer was a rate-limiting step in initiating long term cultures and this could be achieved with a low dose inoculum of CBA/H marrow. Even more dramatic effects were found in hemopoietic cells from doubly defective C3H.nu/nu-xid mice. The bone marrow of these athymic animals contained normal numbers of granulocyte/macrophage progenitors. However, lymphoid cultures could not be reproducibly established with their cells and myelopoiesis was never observed in vitro. The relatively simple conditions which pertain in culture make it possible to appreciate effects of mutations and pedigree on hemopoiesis which are unremarkable in intact animals.

Gamma 2b provides only some of the signals normally given via mu in B cell development.

B cell development is a complex process involving interactions between B cell precursors, stroma, and known and unknown ligands and cytokines. In order to more fully understand the requirements for Ig in that development we have created transgenic mice that carry a gamma 2b transgene and express it early in B cell development. Previously it was believed that these B cells arrested in their development prior to the pro- to pre-B cell transition. We show here that in conventional gamma 2b mice, B cell development actually arrests later, at the pre-B cell stage. This shows for the first time that a constant region different from mu can allow signaling through the pre-B cell receptor, but cannot promote complete development. The pro- and pre-B cells in the conventional gamma 2b transgenics are not fully functional since they cannot grow in IL-7 without stromal cells. This is a novel phenotype, separating development from stroma independence. The few, mature B cells that do develop in these mice express both mu and gamma 2b simultaneously, and are CD5+. Expression of a Bcl-2 transgene allows survival of gamma 2b transgenic immature B cells, but does not promote full maturation, indicating that normally mu provides both an anti-apoptotic signal and a differentiation signal. One line of gamma 2b mice, the C line, does not have this phenotype. B cell development is accelerated in this unconventional line, and the developing B cells have a very different phenotype from both normal mice and conventional gamma 2b mouse lines, but are very similar to mu transgenics. Mature B cells are largely CD5-, gamma 2b-only expressing. This unique phenotype is apparently due to the activation in B cell precursors of a gene at the insertion site of the transgene, circumventing the need for mu. Comparison of conventional gamma 2b transgenics with the C line and mu transgenics reveals the multiple signals required throughout B cell development.

Native associations of early hematopoietic stem cells and stromal cells isolated in bone marrow cell aggregates.

In suspensions of murine bone marrow, many stromal cells are tightly entwined with hematopoietic cells. These cellular aggregations appear to exist normally within the marrow. Previous studies showed that lymphocytes and stem cells adhered to stromal cells via vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1). Injection of anti-VCAM1 antibody into mice disrupts the aggregates, showing the importance of VCAM1 in the adhesion between stromal cells and hematopoietic cells in vivo. Early hematopoietic stem cells were shown to be enriched in aggregates by using a limiting-dilution culture assay. Myeloid progenitors responsive to WEHI-3CM in combination with stem cell factor (c-kit ligand) and B220- B-cell progenitors responsive to insulin-like growth factor-1 in combination with interleukin-7 are not enriched. We propose a scheme of stromal cell-hematopoietic cell interactions based on the cell types selectively retained within the aggregates. The existence of these aggregates as native elements of bone marrow organization presents a novel means to study in vivo stem cell-stromal cell interaction.

Stage-specific alterations in murine B lymphopoiesis with age.

Although it is reported that B lymphopoiesis declines with age, the precursor stage(s) affected and the age of onset are ambiguous. Each progressive phase of B cell differentiation has distinct requirements; therefore, precise identification of the stage(s) that decline would yield insight into the age-related mechanisms affecting humoral immunity. We analysed the composition of B lineage cells of mice 1, 4, 12 and 24 months of age using flow cytometry. Numbers of prepro-B and pro-B cells were unchanged, and a profound decrease occurred only in the numbers of pre-B cells. This decrease occurred in two distinct phases: between 1 and 4 months and between 12 and 24 months. Notably, the numbers of newly formed B cells did not decline in parallel, suggesting that mechanisms are established to overcome the deficiency of pre-B cells. Since the age-related changes are limited to the pre-B cell stage, we hypothesized that the impairment acts at the pro-B to pre-B transition. We therefore evaluated whether the pro-B cells or the supporting stromal cells, which are necessary for normal progression of this stage, changed with age. The ability of pro-B cells to proliferate in the presence of stromal cells was reduced by 24 months of age, as was the ability of the stromal cells to support pro-B cell proliferation. In contrast, the ability to mature into IgM+ cells was unchanged. Thus, strategies that supplement the stromal environment may enhance B lymphopoiesis in aged animals.

Vascular cell adhesion molecule 1-positive reticular cells express interleukin-7 and stem cell factor in the bone marrow.

In vitro studies have defined an essential role for stromal cells in supporting B-cell development, including production of lymphopoietic cytokines. It has been suggested that stromal cells are equivalent to adventitial reticular cells in the marrow; however, evidence of reticular cells producing cytokines has been difficult to obtain. Staining of bone marrow (BM) sections with antibodies to interleukin-7 (IL-7) showed a reticular pattern, mimicking that obtained using antibodies to vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), a molecule present on both stromal cells in vitro and reticular cells. To more closely examine cytokine production within normal marrow, an immunomagnetic separation scheme was devised to directly enrich VCAM-1+ stromal cells. Twenty to thirty percent of cells isolated in the VCAM-1+ fraction shared characteristics with stromal cells from long term BM cultures, including cellular morphology and expression of alkaline phosphatase and alpha actin. These were termed "reticular stromal" cells. Immunohistochemical staining showed that virtually all of the latter cells possessed cytoplasmic IL-7 protein, and about half expressed stem cell factor. In contrast with cultured stromal cells, very few had detectable macrophage-colony-stimulating factor. These data constitute the first report of cytokine expression by marrow reticular cells in vivo. The implications of this data with respect to the existence of stromal cell subsets and their regulation of lymphopoiesis is discussed.

Description of phenotypically distinct T-lymphocyte subsets which mediate helper/DTH and cytotoxic functions in the Syrian hamster.

Recent studies describe aberrations in the functions of T lymphocytes from Syrian hamsters. A current proposal links the apparent functional deficiencies of cytotoxic and suppressor T cells with anomalies found in class I molecules of this species (no polymorphism is detected) and speculates that hamsters possess limited heterogeneity of T cell subpopulations, particularly a class I-restricted subset. The present work tests this hypothesis by examining the extent of T cell heterogeneity defined by differential cell surface antigen expression. A panel of mouse monoclonal antibodies against hamster lymphocyte antigens was generated. MAb #20 and #110 bound to most, if not all, peripheral T cells; a third antibody, #38, divided T cells into two subpopulations which were functionally distinct. Cells within the #38-negative subset produced easily detectable IL 2 and mediated delayed-type hypersensitivity to influenza virus. In contrast, isolated 38+ cells produced little IL 2 and required the addition of exogenous T cell growth factor for proliferation to Con A. Treatment of immune cells with mAb #38 and complement abrogated cytolysis to TNP-haptenated or influenza-infected targets. Thus, Syrian hamsters possess at least two T cell subpopulations of discrete functional ability and unique cell surface antigen expression. Although the data suggest that T cells analogous to those of the class I-restricted, Lyt 2+ subset are present in the hamster, it is predicted that the scope of their composite antigen receptor repertoire may be limited by the monomorphism of class I molecules in this species.

Impaired ability of bone marrow stromal cells to support B-lymphopoiesis with age.

B-lymphopoiesis decreases with age. We studied how aging affects bone marrow stromal cells, because they provide the growth factors and cell contacts required for B-lymphopoiesis. No differences were noted in the cell-surface phenotype of young and old primary-cultured stromal cells. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter-purified stromal cells from old mice were deficient in the ability to support the proliferation of interleukin-7 (IL-7)-specific B-lymphoid cell lines. The kinetics of this response indicated that IL-7 was not immediately available from stromal cells of either age and was further delayed on aged stromal cells. The levels of IL-7 protein within stromal cells were equivalent between young and old animals, suggesting that the production of IL-7 was not altered by aging. Negligible amounts of IL-7 were found either freely secreted or in the extracellular matrix of cultures of young and old marrow. Contact between the lymphoid cells and the primary stromal cells was required for detectable proliferation, suggesting that cell contact was required for the release of IL-7. We propose that stromal cells regulate B-lymphopoiesis by limiting the amount of IL-7 available to the developing precursors. Therefore, we conclude that the age-related decrease in the function of bone marrow stromal cells is related to the impaired release of IL-7.