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Science 29 May 1970:
Vol. 168. no. 3935, pp. 1112 - 1115
DOI: 10.1126/science.168.3935.1112
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Articles

Ihibition of Cytotoxicity of Lymphocytes by Concanavalin A in vitro

Peter Perlmann 1, Helena Nilsson 1, and Myron A. Leon 2

1 Wenner-Gren Institute for Experimental Biology, University of Stockholm, Norrtullsgatan 16, S 113 45 Stockholm
2 Pathology Research Department, St. Luke's Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio 44104

Human lymphocytes treated with the plant protein concanavalin A are stimulated to transform into blasts, without developing cytotoxicity for chicken erythrocytes. Prior treatment of lymphocytes with concanavalin A potentiated phytohemagglutinin-induced blast transformation and DNA synthesis but completely inhibited phytohemagglutinin-induced cytotoxicity. Inhibiton was not due to suppression of the mixed lymphocyte-erythrocyte aggregation normally caused by phytohemagglutinin. Inhibition of cytotoxicity was reversible when concanavalin A was removed from the lymphocytes by treatment with methyl-agr-D-manno-pyranoside after 1 hour but not after 20 hours. The results indicate that blast transformation and cytotoxicity are separate expressions of lymphocyte stimulation.

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)