The selective action of poly A:U on the electrophoretic mobility and surface charge of a subpopulation of B cells

Abstract

Electrophoretic mobility (E.P.M.) of lymphoid cells has been determined in three species. In chicks, the E.P.M. of bursa cells was 0.47±0.07 and of thymocytes 0.64±0.10 μm/sec/volt/cm. On the basis of the E.P.M. profile of the Ficoll gradient purified lymphocytes from the rat spleen, two populations of cells present in the proportion of 65 and 35% were identifiable. The former had a mobility of 1.06±0.08 and the latter 1.24±0.09. The E.P.M. of lymphocytes prepared from athymic nude mice was 0.86±0.06 with a Gaussian distribution profile. On incubation of these cells with poly adenylate-poly uridylate (poly A:U) for 30 min at 37°C followed by extensive washings, the E.P.M. of thymocytes from the chick and rat as well as the thymus-derived cells in rat spleen remained essentially unchanged. On the other hand, poly A:U increased the E.P.M. of avian bursa cells and of a subpopulation of B cells in rat spleen and of splenocytes from nude mice. The proportion of cells markedly affected by poly A:U was 70 to 83% of the total B cells in these species.