[Relative polyribosome content in peripheral blood lymphocytes and lymphoid organs in the human]

Using ultracentrifugation, relative contents of polysomes and free ribosomes were calculated in human PHA activated or non-activated peripheral lymphocytes, peripheral chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes, and in spleen and adenoid lymphocytes in the total fraction as well as in that separated into T and B lymphocytes. The polysome amount in B cells was higher (47%) that in T cells (30%). The polysome and free ribosome correlation in lymphocytes of lymphoid organs and in peripheral blood was different to be presumably dependent on population composition of lymphocytes and on their maturation and proliferation. 20-25% of ribosomes in peripheral lymphocytes are found in polysomes; in PHA stimulated leukemic and spleen lymphocytes they reach 50-70%, and in adenoid lymphocytes, -40%. The participation of polysomes, rather than monosomes, in protein synthesis in lymphocytes has been shown irrespective of the polysome--free ribosome correlation in these.