Tissue Localization of Lymphocytes Bearing a Membrane Receptor for Antigen-Antibody-Complement Complexes

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 67; no. 2; pp. 991 - 997
• Main Authors: Dukor, Peter, Bianco, Celso, Nussenzweig, Victor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 01.10.1970; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Animals; Antigen-Antibody Complex; Antigens; Binding Sites; Biological Sciences: Microbiology; Cell lines; Complement System Proteins; Erythrocytes; Erythrocytes - immunology; Frozen sections; Lymph nodes; Lymph Nodes - anatomy & histology; Lymph Nodes - immunology; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes - anatomy & histology; Lymphocytes - immunology; Lymphoid tissue; Mice; Receptors; Sheep; Sinuses; Spleen; Spleen - anatomy & histology; Spleen - immunology; Thymus Gland - anatomy & histology; Thymus Gland - immunology
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.67.2.991

To determine the tissue localization of lymphocytes provisionally termed ``complement-receptor lymphocytes,'' which are characterized by having a membrane receptor for antigen-antibody-complement complexes, we investigated the adherence of sensitized and nonsensitized sheep red cells to frozen sections of mouse lymphoid organs. Nonsensitized erythrocytes became bound exclusively to sinus-lining cells of spleen and lymph nodes, whereas erythrocytes sensitized with antibody and complement adhered to lymphocytes in the follicular areas and the marginal zone of the spleen and in the true cortex of lymph nodes. However, the doubly sensitized erythrocytes failed to bind to the ``thymus-dependent'' areas of peripheral lymphoid organs or to the thymus itself. We suggest that complement-receptor lymphocytes are of extrathymic origin and that they contribute substantially to follicular antigen localization, which appears to be complement-dependent.