Are Actinomyces Viscosus Antigens B Cell Mitogens?

Abstract
An extracellular heteroglycan (ECHG) and a sonicated cell supernatant (SCS) of Actinomyces viscosus Ny 1 induced strong lymphocyte proliferation. This was shown with spleen and thoracic duct cells from germfree rats and confirmed with cells from conventional “nude” mouse spleens. Spleen cells developed direct plaque-forming cells against densely coupled TNP-SRBC. The mitogenic property of ECHG was diminished considerably after mild alkaline hydrolysis for lymphocytes from rat spleens and was totally abolished for cells from “nude” mouse spleens. These results suggest that ECHG and SCS have B cell mitogenicity.