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Partial separation and functional characterization of guinea pig basophil-stimulating factor
International Archives of Allergy and Applied Immunology
|January 1, 1986
Summary
This study characterizes basophil-stimulating factor (BSF), a T cell-dependent lymphokine crucial for basophil growth. BSF is a distinct protein with a specific molecular size, interacting with bone marrow cells via carbohydrate receptors.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Previous work established T lymphocyte-dependent guinea pig basophil growth from bone marrow precursors in vitro.
- Basophil growth requires specific growth factors from stimulated T cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To functionally characterize basophil-stimulating factor (BSF) from mitogen-stimulated splenic conditioned medium.
- To determine if BSF is a distinct lymphokine and elucidate its properties.
Main Methods:
- Assay for BSF activity using nonadherent bone marrow target cells.
- Biochemical characterization including heat stability, dialysis, protease inactivation, and gel filtration.
- Inhibition studies using monosaccharides and comparison with known lymphokines (MIF, IL-1, IL-2, GM-CSF).
- Molecular size determination via fractionation.
Main Results:
- BSF is heat-stable, nondialyzable, and inactivated by proteases.
- BSF activity profile differs from migration inhibition factor, interleukins 1 or 2, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating activity.
- BSF was separated from other factors by gel filtration and showed no detectable interleukin-3 activity.
- Molecular size of BSF was determined to be 50,000-65,000 daltons.
- An inverse relationship was observed between interleukin 2 and BSF production.
Conclusions:
- Guinea pig BSF is a distinct T cell-dependent lymphokine.
- BSF possesses an active protein moiety that likely interacts with bone marrow cells via cell surface carbohydrate receptors.