Thymus-dependent and thymus-independent lymphocyte separation: relation to exposed sialic acid on cell surface.

On preparative cell electrophoresis mouse lymph node lymphocytes separate into fast-moving (T, thymus-dependent) and slow-moving (B, thymus-independent) fractions. After treatment with neuraminidase all lymphocytes move as one very slow fraction, indicating that the difference in the mobility of the two kinds of cells is due to differences in the density of exposed sialic acid on their surfaces.