Abstract
THERE are several agents known to be capable of inducing blast transformation of small lymphocytes. The mitogens phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (con A) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) are good examples of such agents1. The mitogenic activity of these agents is generally considered to be ‘non-specific’ since they transform a high proportion of lymphocytes taken from normal unimmunised animals2. In spite of extensive study, the immunological significance of lymphocyte transformation by mitogens is not yet clearly understood. It is possible that blast cells of a similar nature function, in the case of infection, as a defence against intracellular organisms3. It is therefore surprising that only few products from infectious organisms have been reported to induce high lymphocyte transformation. Ling and Husband4 transformed lymphocyte with a staphylococcus filtrate and Hirschhorn et at.5 obtained a similar effect using streptolysin-S. Recently it has been shown that a heat-stable lipopolysaccharide extract obtained from Escherichia coil will induce a transformation of B lymphocytes in the mouse6, 7.
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GINSBURG, H., NICOLET, J. Extensive Transformation of Lymphocytes by a Mycoplasma Organism. Nature New Biology 246, 143–146 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio246143a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio246143a0
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