Detection and characterization of lymphocytes bearing receptors for peanut agglutinin by a specific rosetting technique.

Murine lymphocytes bearing receptors for peanut agglutinin (PNA) have been visualized using a specific rosetting technique. The lymphocytes were incubated with PNA and mixed with neuraminidase-treated sheep red blood cells. The percentage of the PNA rosetting lymphocytes found in the various organs studied was dependent upon the PNA concentration. In the spleen, the PNA rosetting lymphocytes were primarily T cells with low PNA concentration while both T and B lymphocytes were rosetted with high PNA concentration. In the fetal liver and thymus PNA rosetting lymphocytes were present in small amounts early in fetal life, increasing and reaching adult levels by late fetal life. The present study shows that the rosetting technique is more sensitive than previously described techniques for the detection of various lymphocyte subpopulation having receptors for PNA.