Mg2+-dependent adenosine triphosphatase: an enzyme marker for ovine T lymphocytes

Sheep T lymphocytes showed a cell surface magnesium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (Mg2+-ATPase) reaction, which is reported to be characteristic of human B lymphocytes. In cryostat sections of lymph nodes, spleen and thymus, Mg2+-ATPase positive regions closely matched those labelled by sheep pan T monoclonal antibodies (Moab). An Mg2+-ATPase reaction was also found in fibroblastic recticulum cells of T cell regions in lymph nodes. Double labelling of cells from peripheral blood and peripheral lymph for Mg2+-ATPase and the pan T marker showed that 78% of the lymphocytes were positive for both of these markers. In cell suspensions enriched for B lymphocytes the percentage of cells positively labelled was decreased to 37%. Samples of each cell population which were labelled with a pan T Moab and analysed by flow microfluorometry revealed T cell levels which were not significantly different from those obtained by histochemical or immunohistochemical techniques. Less than 1% of lymphocytes positive for heavy and light chains of immunoglobulin (Ig) G were labelled with Mg2+-ATPase. Veiled cells in lymph and monocytes showed a cytoplasmic Mg2+-ATPase reaction.