ROSETTE-FORMATION WITH MOUSE ERYTHROCYTES .2. MARKER FOR HUMAN B AND NON-T LYMPHOCYTES

Abstract

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy control subjects were studied for spontaneous rosette-formation with mouse erythrocytes. The mean percentage of mouse erythrocyte rosette-forming cells (MRFC) in 63 subjects was 7.4 .+-. 3.5; after [Clostridium perfringens] neuraminidase treatment of lymphocytes, the mean percentage of mouse erythrocyte rosette-forming cells (nMRFC) was 17.2 .+-. 5.6. Thymus cell suspensions made only occasional rosettes with mouse erythrocytes. There was no effect of neuraminidase treatment of thymocytes on mouse erythrocyte rosette-formation. Double labeling experiments with other cell surface markers confirmed this binding of mouse erythrocytes to be a B [bone marrow-derived]-cell characteristic. Monocytes and granulocytes do not bind mouse erythrocytes. It appears that there is a distinct receptor for the binding of mouse erythrocytes on the surface of lymphocytes carrying surface immunoglobulins; neuraminidase treatment of lymphocytes permits this binding to occur also on virtually all the non-T [thymus-derived] cells (B cells plus 3rd population cells).