Membrane IgM, IgD, and IgG act as signal transmission molecules in a series of B lymphomas.

Increases in intracellular free calcium concentration ((Ca2+)i) were observed in response to anti-immunoglobulin (Ig) antibodies in each of six B cell tumors or B cell hybridomas bearing mu or delta chains on their cell surface. The BAL17 cell line, bearing mu and delta chains on its surface, behaved similarly to mature B cells in the following respects. Anti-IgM and anti-IgD antibodies caused increases in (Ca2+)i and inositol phospholipid metabolism; the initial increases in (Ca2+)i were derived partly from an intracellular Ca2+ pool; lipopolysaccharide, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), B cell stimulatory factor-1, and antibodies to class I and class II major histocompatibility molecules and to the Fc gamma receptor failed to cause increases in (Ca2+)i or in inositol phospholipid metabolism; and increases in (Ca2+)i and inositol phospholipid metabolism in response to anti-Ig were inhibited by pretreatment with PMA. Furthermore A20, an IgG2a bearing lymphoma, showed increases in (Ca2+)i in response to anti-IgG2a, and a lymphoma cell line (6G8-2E10) expressing membrane IgG2b as a result of DNA-mediated transfer of the gamma 2b H chain gene, showed increases in (Ca2+)i in response to anti-IgG2b. These results indicate that Ig-bearing lymphomas display early events in B cell activation after receptor cross-linkage and can be used for detailed studies of the activation process.