Studies on the syngeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction. I. The ontogeny of the syngeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction in mice.
Academic Article
Overview
abstract
The syngeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction (SMLR) is the proliferative response of T lymphocytes cultured with syngeneic non-T lymphocytes. The ontogenic development of the SMLR has been studied in BALB/c mice. The SMLR is not demonstrable in BALB/c mice less than 3 weeks old. The SMLR attains an adult level of activity at 4 weeks of age. Splenic T cells from mice less than 3 weeks old do not respond and splenic non-T cells do not stimulate an SMLR. T-cell preparations acquire the capacity to respond in the SMLR between 2 and 3 weeks of age and non-T cells acquire the capacity to stimulate in SMLR between 3 and 4 weeks old. Spleen cells from 1 week old mice suppress the adult SMLR. Suppressor activity was eliminated by depleting either Thy-1.2 positive cells or adherent cells. When suppressor activity was eliminated, spleen cells from 1 week old donors were capable of stimulating syngeneic T cells. Spleen cells from 1 week old nude BALB/c mice do not suppress the SMLR and stimulate syngeneic T cells normally. These results suggest that the impaired SMLR in very young mice is, at least in part, due to cell-mediated suppression of the SMLR.