To determine if the immunoglobulins (Igs) capable of eliciting the formation of isologous anti-idiotypic antibodies are rare exceptions, BABL/c mice were immunized with five myeloma proteins of BALB/c origin. Anti-idiotypes were produced against all but one. The idiotype of the exception (T15) is remarkably abundant in BALB/c mice, whose unresponsiveness is probably due to tolerance. Nevertheless, prolonged immunization with T15 finally induced the formation of isologous antibodies that seemed largely to be specific for IgA proteins, especially those with k-light-chains; the reactions of a few of these isologous antisera with T15 were slightly inhibited by phosphorylcholine, suggesting that some anti-idiotypes were probably formed even to this unusually prevalent idiotype. It is likelythat under appropriate conditions almost any myeloma protein can elicit isologous anti-idiotypes.
The ability of thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells) from BALB/c mice to recognize the individually specific antigenic determinants (idiotypes) of BALB/c myeloma proteins was tested. Spleen cells from donor mice immunized with a given myeloma protein greatly augmented the response of hapten-specific bonemarrow-derived, thymus-independent lymphocytes (B cells) to a hapten conjugate of the immunizing myeloma protein. This helper effect was specific for the myeloma protein idiotype; responses to hapten conjugates of similar myeloma proteins, bearing different idiotypic determinants, were not augmented by these spleen cells. That the helper cell is a T cell was shown by its marked sensitivity to cytolysis with an isoantiserum specific for T cells (anti-Thy-1.2) and complement. The discrimination between idiotypes by such T cells is roughly comparable to that of the antibody produced by the donors of the helper cells.
Recently we found that a single administration of T-2 toxin (T-2), a trichothecene mycotoxin, into mice induced DNA fragmentation, a biochemical hallmark of apoptosis, in the thymus. In this study, we investigated the effective chemical structure(s) of T-2-derived metabolites capable of inducing thymic apoptosis in vivo in mice. Metabolic conversion of T-2 to 3'-hydroxy-T-2 toxin (3'-OH-T-2) did not diminish the apoptosis-inducing activity, since essentially the same level of fragmented DNA was detected in the thymus taken from mice injected with either T-2 or 3'-OH-T-2. In contrast, hydrolysis of T-2 and 3'-OH-T-2 at the carbon-4 (C-4) position to HT-2 toxin (HT-2) and 3'-hydroxy-HT-2 toxin (3'-OH-HT-2), respectively, greatly decreased the level of DNA fragmentation. Similarly, hydrolysis of T-2 at the carbon-8 (C-8) position to neosolaniol strongly diminished its ability to induce DNA fragmentation. T-2 tetraol, having no ester groups, was unable to induce apoptosis. Based on the data presented in this study, we concluded that both the acetyl group at the C-4 position and the isovaleryl or 3'-hydroxyisovaleryl group at the C-8 position of the T-2 molecule are important for inducing cell death through apoptosis in the thymus.
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