Alteration of lymphocyte surface properties by insertion of foreign functional components of plasma membrane

We report the successful coreconstitution of solubilized lymphocyte plasma membranes and Sendai virus envelopes into membrane vesicles that possess the ability to fuse efficiently with mouse splenocytes of thymocytes to give fully viable cells with modified surface properties. Integration of donor membrane components into the acceptor cells was demonstrated by chemical, morphological, and immunological methods. Over 40% of the label from vesicles coreconstituted with radiolabeled (with 125I or 3H) lymphocyte membranes was incorporated into the fused cells. Insertion of biotin-labeled membrane components into the membranes of the acceptor cells was shown by electron microscopy with ferritin-conjugated avidin. Transfer of receptors to soybean agglutinin was also demonstrated. When vesicles from thymocyte membranes were fused with B splenocytes, over 50% of the cells were lysed with anti-theta antiserum and complement. Moreover, lymphocytes into which allogeneic membranes were incorporated triggered the autologous cells in the mixed lymphocyte reaction, indicating the functional transfer of major histocompatibility complex antigens. These findings strongly suggest that the transferred membranes were functionally incorporated into the acceptor cell membranes. The technique described opens new ways for elucidation of the role of the lymphocyte membrane in the immune response as well as for the understanding of the structure-function relationship of membrane components in other cells.