Identification of Ia glycoproteins in rat thymus and purification from rat spleen

Abstract

A fraction of la‐like glycoproteins was prepared from rat thymocytes by lentil lectin affinity chromatography and gel filtration in deoxycholate. Spleen cells from mice immunized with this preparation were fused with myeloma cells to produce antibody‐secreting hybrid cell lines. Antibody from four lines called MRC OX, 3, 4, 5, 6 reacted with the la‐like glycoproteins, and MRC OX 3 antibody recognized an antigenie determinant polymorphic in the rat. All four antibodies also bound to mouse spleen cells and all detected polymorphisms. Studies on recombinant mouse strains suggest that the determinants are coded by the I‐A subregion of the H‐2 complex. MRC OX 3 correlates with Ia specificity 9, while MRC OX 4, 5, 6 correlate with specificity 17 or 18. MRC OX 4 monoclonal antibody was used for affinity chromatography to purify Ia glycoproteins from rat spleen. The rat Ia glycoprotein complex was composed of two noncovalently linked polypeptide chains of apparent mol. wt. (unreduced) 30 000 and 24 000 as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. The purified Ia glycoprotein partially inhibited the binding to thoracic duct lymphocytes of an alloantiserum which detects Ia antigens linked to the major histocompatibility complex. The monoclonal anti‐la antibodies bound to the majority of peripheral B lymphocytes and 18% of thymocytes, but did not significantly bind to peripheral T lymphocytes. There were on average 150000 molecules of Ia glycoprotein per la‐positive B lymphocyte, and 45 000 molecules per la‐positive thymocyte. From the same fusion, another cell line was prepared called MRC OX 2 which secretes monoclonal antibody to a previously undefined thymus glycoprotein of apparent mol. wt. 60000. Preliminary studies showed that the antigen was expressed on all thymocytes and on peripheral B lymphocytes in smaller amounts. It was also present in brain, but not liver or kidney homogenate.