Accessory cell dependence of lectin-induced proliferation of mouse T lymphocytes.

Mouse lymph node cells were exposed to carbonyl iron and a magnet to remove phagocytic cells, and passed over Sephadex G-10 and nylon wool and incubated for 12 h on plastic to remove adherent cells and their precursors. More than 99% of the cells in this macrophage-depleted population (which constituted 3-5% of the starting population) were Thy-1+ and Ly-1+, while less than 2% were Ly-2+. These cells usually did not synthesize detectable amounts of DNA when cultured with concanavalin A and responded poorly to phytohemagglutinin. These proliferative responses were completely reconstituted by small numbers of syngeneic or allogeneic peritoneal cells, purified peritoneal macrophages or cells from tertiary cultures of mouse embryo 'fibroblasts', but not by 3T3 cells, P815 mastocytoma cells or Nulli SCC-1 embryonal carcinoma cells, or by 2-mercaptoethanol. The reconstituting peritoneal cells were Thy-1--, Ia+ and present in nu/nu mice; although they had to be alive to reconstitute, they did not have to divide. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that T cell proliferation induced by lectins, like that induced by antigens, may involve the dual recognition of stimulating ligand in association with major histocompatibility complex (Ia) determinants.