Effect of metabolic inhibitors on the ability of human T lymphocytes to form active T rosettes.

The effect of various cellular metabolic inhibitors on the active T rosette formation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) was studied. Cytochalasin B greatly inhibited SRBC rosette formation. However, colchicine, mytomycin C, cyclohexamide, and sodium azide had no effect. These results suggest that the ability of the lymphocyte to form active T rosettes is dependent on the lattice microfilament network, but not on the cellular metabolism. The effect of cytochalasin B on human peripheral blood lymphocytes activated by phytohemagglutinin (PHA), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), lens culinalis (LCH), or ricinus communis agglutinin I (RCAI) was also examined. Cytochalasin B significantly inhibited the active T rosette formation induced by LCH or RCAI, but did not inhibit that induced by PHA or WGA. This suggests that different cellular mechanisms are involved in the activation of lymphocytes by either PHA and WGA or LCH and RCAI.