The modulation of spontaneous and anti-Ig-stimulated motility of lymphocytes by cyclic nucleotides and adrenergic and cholinergic agents.

Translational movement in B lymphocytes was stimulated by anti-Ig antibody. Drugs that are presumed to elevate cyclic AMP stopped this stimulated motility. Such was the case with dibutyryl cAMP and theophylline, cholera enterotoxin, and isoproterenol, a beta adrenergic agonist. Conversely, in the absence of anti-immunoglobulin antibody, cyclic GMP and the cholinergic drugs acetylcholine and carbamylcholine increased spontaneous motility of lymphocytes, with the B class of lymphocytes demonstrating greater responsiveness. The increase in motility brought about by cholinergic drugs was totally stopped by atropine, suggesting that the B lymphocyte surface contains a cholinergic receptor. The inhibition of anti-immunoglobulin-stimulated movement produced by cyclic AMP was not observed if the cells were first incubated with colchicine, the microtubular-disrupting drug. This suggests that the cyclic AMP-decreased motility was brought about by the increased stabilization of microtubules. Lymphocyte motility was dissociable from other early events subsequent to binding of anti-immunoglobulin antibodies: patching, capping, and endocytosis of complexes were unaffected by cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP, or drugs of the adrenergic or cholinergic systems.