Human-mouse mixed lymphocyte cultures. II. Partial separation of functionally distinct populations on discontinuous albumin gradients.

Human-mouse mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC) develop stable, strain-specific responses directed towards antigens determined by the mouse major histocompatibility complex (MHC). By restimulation in vitro a two- to four-fold increase in total cell numbers can be achieved. Sensitized cells can be fractionated on discontinuous BSA gradients to produce fractions with predominantly proliferative or cytotoxic activity towards the intiating antigens. Mixing experiments show that fractionation of biological activity is the result of fractination of specifically sensitized effector cells rather than fractionation of inhibitory or collaborative elements. Since biological activities or can be separated on the basis of physical properties into distinct cell populations these experiments support the idea that these functions are the properties of distinct subclasses of human T lymphocyte. Xenogeneic MLC coupled to physical separation measures is a useful approach to the study of antigen-specific human T lymphocytes.