By using the two criteria (a) high density of immunoglobulin determinants on the cell surface and (b) presence of receptors for C'3 on the cell surface for defining bone marrow-derived lymphocytes, it is indirectly shown that all or at least a major population of human thymus-derived lymphocytes under certain conditions will form nonimmune rosettes with sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Almost all thymocytes tested from two different donors formed rosettes. The SRBC rosettes are not formed by virtue of immunoglobulin receptors and form only around living cells. Positive bivalent ions are required for rosette formation since EDTA will block rosette formation. Sodium iodoacetate will also block rosette formation demonstrating the dependence on an intact glycolytic pathway. Rosette formation is temperature dependent and will not appear at 37°C. Trypsin treatment of lymphocytes will abolish their SRBC-binding ability which cannot be restored by treating them with fresh donor serum or fetal calf serum, but which will reappear after culturing the lymphocytes. It is suggested that these rosettes are formed by a rapidly released or metabolized receptor substance on the living cell surface which behaves as a trypsin-sensitive structure produced by the cells themselves.

https://rupress.org/jem/article-pdf/136/2/207/1084780/207.pdf

Surface markers on human T and B lymphocytes. I. A large population of lymphocytes forming nonimmune rosettes with sheep red blood cells.

https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/0092-8674(84)90039-4.pdf

An alternative pathway of T-cell activation: A functional role for the 50 kd T11 sheep erythrocyte receptor protein

Transmembrane control of the receptors on normal and tumor cells: I. Cytoplasmic influence over cell surface components☆

Characterization of the continuous, differentiating myeloid cell line (HL-60) from a patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia

Malignant Lymphomas Other than Hodgkin’s Disease

Report of a WHO Scientific Group (Part 3 of 3)

Rosette-formation between human lymphocytes and sheep red cells not involving immunoglobulin receptors.

Ox red blood cells sensitized with rabbit anti-ox red cell antibody adhered opsonically to freshly prepared human peripheral blood lymphocytes. When tested by a centrifugation technique 24–59% of live lymphocytes in normal individuals formed rosettes with the indicator red cells while 41–87% of the lymphocytes in chronic lymphatic leukaemia reacted. After storage at + 4 °C the lymphocytes gradually lost the operative receptor; killing the cells by freezing and thawing, by sodium azide or by fixation in formaldehyde also resulted in loss of capacity to bind the indicator cells. Pretreatment of the lymphocytes with high doses of anti-human IgM in diluted serum resulted in a definite, although incomplete, inhibition. Also, soluble antigen-antibody complexes were inhibitory, although strong inhibition was difficult to show. Undiluted, heated normal human or rabbit serum was highly inhibitory. The high incidence of lymphocytes showing antibody opsonic adherence in patients with chronic lymphatic leukaemia, together with the finding that most lymphocytes binding sensitized ox red cells did not bind unsensitized sheep red cells (a possible T-cell marker) suggests that lymphocytes showing antibody opsonic adherence represent a subpopulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes. This subpopulation might be an analogue of the B-cell population in mice.

Opsonic adherence of sensitized ox red cells to human lymphocytes as measured by rosette formation.

Studies on actively allergized cells. I. The cyto-dynamics and morphology of rosete-forming lymph node cells in mice and inhibition of rosette-formation with antibody to mouse immunoglobulins.

Immunoglobulin determinants can be shown on the membrane of circulating lymphocytes of the rabbit by the mixed antiglobulin reaction. An enumeration was made of lymphocytes reacting specifically with anti-γ, anti-μ, anti-Fab and anti-L chain sera. The L chain allotypic determinants As4 and As6 were also shown and reacting cells enumerated. There was a marked dose-dependence between the concentration of the antiglobulin reagent used to treat the lymphocyte suspension and the number of lymphocytes reacting to form rosettes.

The experiments reported at this stage bear no direct evidence on the question as to whether the μ- and γ-determinants, or more than one L chain allotypic determinant can exist on the one cell.

Of three rabbits with 26, 47, and 61 per cent IgG-reacting lymphocytes in the circulation, only one had 1 per cent reacting cells in the thymus while the other two had less than 1 per cent. No μ-reacting cells were detectable in the thymuses of the two rabbits tested.

Immunoglobulin determinants on the lymphocytes of normal rabbits. I. Demonstration by the mixed antiglobulin reaction of determinants recognized by anti-gamma, anti-mu, anti-Fab and anti-allotype sera, anti-As4 and anti-As6.

B.W. Gurner

Papers

Report of a WHO Scientific Group (Part 3 of 3)

Rosette-formation between human lymphocytes and sheep red cells not involving immunoglobulin receptors.

Opsonic adherence of sensitized ox red cells to human lymphocytes as measured by rosette formation.

Studies on actively allergized cells. I. The cyto-dynamics and morphology of rosete-forming lymph node cells in mice and inhibition of rosette-formation with antibody to mouse immunoglobulins.

Immunoglobulin determinants on the lymphocytes of normal rabbits. I. Demonstration by the mixed antiglobulin reaction of determinants recognized by anti-gamma, anti-mu, anti-Fab and anti-allotype sera, anti-As4 and anti-As6.