Application of cell electrophoretic methods (preparative and analytical) in demonstrating the surface heterogeneity...

The preparative electrophoretic method allows separation of several cell populations, which can be characterized by the usual membrane markers. This qualitative study shows a heterogeneous distribution of the T-lymphocytes from the most rapid to the slowest migration zones. The electrophoretic mobility (E.M.) of each fraction has been studied by analytical electrophoresis, which confirms the heterogeneity of T-cells. The experiments used total blood lymphocytes and rosette-forming cells with sheep red blood cells. The results obtained with the two methods were well correlated. The average migration speed of the separated populations showed a regular variation from one extreme fraction to the other. The E.M. speeds that characterize the main populations are--0.90 micrometer.sec.--1v.--1cm for the B-lymphocytes; for the T-lymphocytes,--1.10 (previously identified as the "low affinity" E-rosette FC),--1.20 and a small population centered around--1.35 (corresponding to active E rosette FC). In the T-lymphocytes separated after E-rosetting, the progresssive variation in the mean E.M. of each fraction is confirmed, as well as the existence of the previous 3 T-cell populations. Further studies have to be done, to show that each separated population does correspond with a functional differentiation.