Changes in the electrophoretic mobility of mouse lymph node lymphocytes during ontogeny.

The electrokinetic properties of peripheral lymph node (LN) cells from C3H and nude mice aged 1, 3 or 10 weeks, were investigated by means of preparative and analytical cell electrophoresis. Two groups of cells were distinguishable throughout the age interval examined. The first group, with low-mobility (LM) included the majority of surface-immunoglobulin positive lymphocytes, was predominant in athymic nude mice and is thus likely to represent B cells. The other group, with higher mobility (HM), was sensitive to anti-Thy 1-2 serum, made up the major LN population in C3H mice and normal nude littermates and thus probably corresponds to T cells. In C3H mice, the relative proportion of LM cells was found to increase with age of LN donors (from 9-22%). Moreover, significant alterations in the mean electrophoretic mobility (EPM) of both lymphocyte populations were detected in the course of development. While the EPM of LM cells diminished from 0-81-0-70 micrometer.s-1.V-1.cm, that of HM cells increased from 1-11-1-22 micrometer.s-1.V-1.cm as the animals grew from 1-10 weeks. These observations indicate a relationship between the degree of maturity of peripheral B- and T-cell populations and their electrokinetic properties.