Lymphocyte recognition of lymph node high endothelium. VII. Cell surface proteins involved in adhesion defined by monoclonal anti-HEBFLN (A.11) antibody.

Lymphocyte entry into lymph nodes (LN) and Peyer's patches (PP) occurs specifically at high endothelial cell venules (HEV). We previously isolated a high endothelial binding factor (HEBFLN) from rat lymph that blocked the lymphocyte binding sites of HEVLN but not HEVPP. In this study, mouse monoclonal anti-HEBFLN antibody (A.11) was used to investigate rat lymphocyte surface structures mediating adhesion to high endothelium. The A.11 antigen was expressed on the majority of thoracic duct lymphocytes (TDL), spleen, LN, PP cells, but was only detected on few (1 to 10%) thymus and bone marrow cells (indirect immunofluorescence). The treatment of TDL with the A.11 IgG blocked their ability to bind to HEVLN. This effect was specific, inasmuch as A.11 antibody did not block lymphocyte binding to HEVPP, and an anti-leukocyte-common antigen monoclonal antibody, OX1, did not block lymphocyte binding to HEVLN. In addition, the A.11 antigen isolated from the lymph and detergent lysates of TDL by antibody affinity chromatography had the capacity to block the lymphocyte binding sites of HEVLN but not HEVPP. Immunoprecipitation studies revealed that the A.11 antibody recognized the radioiodinated surface membrane proteins of TDL and TDL-derived T cells and B cells, which resolved with SDS-PAGE autoradiography into three polypeptides with relative m.w. of approximately 135,000, 63,000, and 40,000. We conclude that the A.11 antigen is a component of the lymphocyte surface recognition structure that mediates adhesion to high endothelial cells of rat peripheral lymph nodes.