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The adult mammalian central nervous system develops from the pseudostratified neuroepithelium of the neural tube. In order to study, in vitro, the differentiation of the neuroepithelial cells in detail and to identify factors that may influence this process, an uncontaminated, viable population of neuroepithelial cells, that still retains full developmental potential, is required. In this paper we describe a highly efficient method, involving differential trypsinization and micro-dissection, to cleanly separate the neuroepithelium from surrounding mesenchyme and ectoderm. The purity of isolated neuroepithelium has been assessed by monitoring for the presence of endothelial cells using an anti-endothelial antibody, MTS-12, and found to contain no significant level of contamination. Neuroepithelial cells prepared by this method have been demonstrated to divide and differentiate in tissue culture, to act as target cells for immortalization by proto-oncogenes and to differentiate into neurons in neural transplantation studies.

The processes that regulate the development of peripheral neurons from their precursors in the embryonic neural crest are essentially unknown. In this report, we show that leukemia inhibitory factor stimulates the generation of neurons in cultures of mouse neural crest. These neurons have the morphology of sensory neurons and contain neuropeptides found in mammalian sensory neurons. Consistent with these neurons being of the sensory lineage is the finding that they arise from nondividing precursors within the neural crest. In addition, we show that leukemia inhibitory factor supports the generation and/or maturation of sensory neurons in cultures of cells obtained from embryonic dorsal root ganglia. In cultures of postnatal dorsal root ganglia, which contain mature sensory neurons, leukemia inhibitory factor acts directly as a survival molecule on the majority of neurons.

Fibroblast growth factor stimulates proliferation and subsequent differentiation of precursor cells isolated from the neuroepithelium of embryonic day 10 mice in vitro. Here we show that fibroblast growth factor-induced proliferation is dependent on the presence of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and that IGF-I is endogenously produced by the neuroepithelial cells. Blocking of endogenous IGF-I activity with anti-IGF-I antibodies results in complete inhibition of fibroblast growth factor-mediated proliferation and in cell death. IGF-I alone acts as a survival agent. These observations correlate with the detection of transcripts for IGF-I and basic fibroblast growth factor in freshly isolated neuroepithelium and are consistent with an autocrine action of these factors in early brain development in vivo.

The expression of class I and class II histocompatibility antigens by myelin basic protein (MBP)-positive oligodendrocytes, in response to exogenous cytokines, has been investigated in vitro. It has been found that interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), although capable of class I induction, does not induce class II on oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which was shown to induce class I MHC on other neural cells, failed to induce class I on oligodendrocytes. A combination of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha also failed to facilitate the expression of class II antigens on oligodendrocytes, nor did it amplify the expression of class I seen with IFN-gamma alone. Thus it appears that MBP+ murine oligodendrocytes are refractory to class II induction, and express class I in response to IFN-gamma but not TNF-alpha. The differential regulation and class of MHC expression may have implications in terms of the initiation and targeting of immune responses directed toward the oligodendrocyte.

The epigenetic factors involved in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of cells of the developing mammalian central nervous system are largely unknown. In this study, laminin, a molecule which is present in the basal lamina from the earliest stage of neural tube formation, has been examined in vitro for its possible regulatory role in mammalian neural development. Purified populations of murine neuroepithelial (NEP) cells isolated from the 10-day embryonic telencephalon and mesencephalon respond in vitro to laminin by undergoing aggregation, proliferation, and extensive neurite elaboration. The proliferation and differentiation of NEP cells induced by the interaction with laminin were dependent upon an early cell aggregation, since precoating of wells with poly-L-ornithine, a procedure which prevented such aggregation, completely blocked these responses. The previously reported proliferative effect of acidic fibroblast growth factor (FGF) on NEP cells was found to be synergistic with that of laminin. This observation is consistent with the idea that laminin may regulate cell responses in several ways: by direct stimulation via laminin receptors; by optimal presentation of FGF molecules to neural cells; and finally by upregulation of FGF receptor numbers on responsive cells. The in vitro response of laminin is mimicked by its long arm elastase digestion fragment, E8, whereas the cross arm fragment of laminin, E1-4, had no effect. In addition, antibodies specific for epitopes on the long arm blocked the effect seen with the whole laminin molecule. Binding studies of 125I-labeled laminin and its fragment performed on freshly isolated NEP cells confirmed the specificity of the in vitro observations: whole laminin and the E8 fragment bound to the NEP cell surface whereas the E1-4 fragment did not. These studies demonstrate mechanisms by which laminin, specifically through its long arm fragment, may assert a regulatory function during development of the mammalian central nervous system.

We have developed an in vitro culture system to study the regulation of proliferation and differentiation of neural precursor cells contained within the neuroepithelium of embryonic day 10 mice. A number of soluble growth factors have been tested for their ability to regulate these early events and, of these factors, we have found that the fibroblast growth factors [FGFs] can directly stimulate the proliferation and survival of the neuroepithelial cells. At least 50% of the neuroepithelial cells divide in the presence of FGF whereas in the absence of FGF all of the cells die within 6 days of culture. At higher concentrations of FGF, the cells change from being nonadherent round cells in tight clusters into a more flattened cell type which adheres to the substratum. This morphological change is accompanied by the expression of both neurofilament and GFAP, which are definitive markers of the two major cell types in the central nervous system: neurons and glia. In addition a neuroepithelial cell line, which does not rely on FGF for survival or proliferation, expresses both of these markers in response to FGF. These results indicate that FGF is stimulating the differentiation of the neuroepithelial cells into mature neurons and glia.

Thymus from 14-day murine fetuses, maintained in organ culture, was depleted of lymphocytes when incubated for 7 days at room temperature (24 degrees C) in a gas mixture of 10% CO2 in air or 10% CO2 in O2. Shorter incubation resulted in sparing of some lymphocytes and/or their precursor populations. Cultures grown in CO2 in air maintained their Ia-positive cell population, as demonstrated in single cell suspensions, while those grown in CO2 and O2 appeared to lose Ia-positive cells. When recolonized by fetal liver (FL) the thymuses became fully lymphoid again in organ culture. Depending on the degree of lymphocyte depletion, split chimerism at various levels could be produced, when the FL used was from a strain allogeneic to the thymus.

We have immunized mice with enriched populations of cultured rat astrocytes and fused their spleen cells with NS-1 myeloma cells to generate antibody-secreting hybridomas. We have isolated two stable hybridoma clones which secrete monoclonal IgG2 antibodies that react with the surface of the great majority of rat astrocytes in culture. We have studied one of these antibodies in indirect immunofluorescence assays and show that it binds to the surface of rat ependymal cells, retinal Müller cells and leptomeningeal cells as well as to astrocytes, but not to cultured neurones, oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells, microglia or various non-neural cells. The antigen defined by this monoclonal antibody is protease-sensitive and rat-specific and we have called it rat neural antigen-2 (Ran-2). We also show that isolated rat ependymal cells and cultured rat Müller cells do not express other neural cell-type-specific markers, such as tetanus toxin receptors, rat neural antigen-1 (Ran-1), galactocerebroside or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Nor do these cells express cell surface Fc receptors for IgG, phagocytose latex beads or make detectable amounts of the Thy-1 or fibronectin glycoproteins.

A monoclonal antibody against chicken Thy-1 has been used to study the histochemical localisation of Thy-1 in chicken nervous and lymphoid tissues and to quantitate the relative amounts of Thy-1 in different brain subregions, subcellular fractions and non-neural tissues. An indirect ELISA using chicken brain membranes as a target established that the highest levels of Thy-1 were present in chicken forebrain, followed by midbrain, brainstem, spinal cord, cerebellum, retina and sciatic nerve. Analyses of subcellular fractions of chicken forebrain revealed a generalised localisation of Thy-1 on membranes comprising both the junctional and extrajunctional components of the synaptosome. Consistent with this finding are the immunohistochemical studies on cryostat sections where Thy-1 was localised to certain axonal and synaptic regions of chicken nervous tissue. Strong monoclonal antibody binding was found in the molecular layer and white matter of chicken cerebellar sections with fibrous staining on the axons running through the granule cell layer. No continuous staining could be seen on the perikaryal membranes of Purkinje cells or granule cells and no staining was present within the cell bodies. The Bergmann glia of the cerebellum were Thy-1-negative. The monoclonal antibody showed preferential binding to the inner plexiform and optic fibre layers of the chicken retina, suggesting a retinal ganglion cell localisation for chicken Thy-1, as has been suggested for the rat and mouse homologues. Surprisingly the lymphocytes of both the bursa and thymus gland were Thy-1-negative, however some extracellular staining was observed of interlobular connective tissue of the bursa.

The surface ganglioside marker A2B5 was originally detected on neurons, but has subsequently been shown to be expressed on a wide range of macroglial and non-neural cells. This marker has been used in vitro to categorize subpopulations of neural cells within the central nervous system, as well as defining developmental pathways of macroglia. These categorizations are based on the assumption that this marker cannot easily be modulated. In this study of cerebellar cultures we demonstrate that A2B5 can be induced on approximately 16% of A2B5 non-expressing cells by the growth factors: basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF); acidic fibroblast growth factor (a-FGF); and, to a lesser degree, epidermal growth factor (EGF).

The capacity of CBA, C57BL/6 and BALB/c mouse bone marrow cells to repopulate lethally-irradiated syngeneic or allogeneic recipients was monitored by measuring hemopoietic progenitor cell (colony forming cell, CFC) levels in the bone marrow and spleen from 0-7 days after transplantation. Bone marrow cells (10(7)/mouse) injected into allogeneic recipients failed to repopulate the spleen in vivo whereas regeneration was possible in spleen organ cultures. In contrast, the repopulation of the bone marrow by injected hemopoietic cells was successful in both allogeneic and syngeneic recipients. The observed absence of allogeneic CFC growth inhibition in organ cultured spleens provides an unique in vitro model for further dissecting the mechanism(s) responsible for allogeneic rejection.

The properties of granulocyte-macrophage (GM) colony stimulating factor (CSF) produced by a mouse T-cell hybridoma (T19.1) as a result of stimulation by concanavalin A have been investigated. Stimulation of T19.1 cells (2 x 10(6)/ml) with concanavalin A (5 microgram/ml) in the absence of serum for 24 h led to the production of colony stimulating activity (100 ng/ml). The molecular and biological properties of the hybridoma GM-CSF were compared with similar molecules produced in vitro by mouse lung or muscle cells. When bone marrow cells were stimulated by T19.1 conditioned medium (CM) only colonies containing granulocytes (G), macrophages (M), or a mixture of both cell types developed. The distribution of colony types (G, G/M or M) was dependent on the concentration of T19.1 CM in the same way as the GM-CSF from mouse lung conditioned medium. Similarly GM-CSF from T19.1 CM was also able to stimulate the initial proliferation of other hemopoietic progenitor cells and induce differentiation in the myelo-monocytic leukemic cell line (WEHI3B). The apparent molecular weight of GM-CSF in T19.1 CM as determined by gel filtration on Ultrogel AcA44 was 24,000. Using high performance liquid chromatography, GM-CSF from T19.1 CM eluted at the same apparent molecular weight (32,000) on molecular sieve columns and acetonitrile concentration on reverse phase columns as the GM-CSF from mouse lung and muscle CM. The level of production of GM-CSF and the similarity to the molecule from mouse lung CM indicated that this continuous cell line should be useful for preparing GM-CSF in suitable quantities for structural analysis and in vivo testing.

Thy-1 is a glycoprotein primarily expressed in the nervous system of a large number of vertebrate species. A concanavalin-A binding glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 25,000 daltons has been isolated from cat brain, which corresponds to the Thy-1 molecule isolated in other species. Monoclonal antibodies were generated against this cat Thy-1 molecule, and immunohistochemical staining on adult cat brain frozen sections demonstrated a localisation of the molecule to regions rich in synapses. In the cerebellum, the immunoperoxidase staining with the antibodies was intense in the molecular layer, the fibres of the granular layer, and the Purkinje cell bodies. This distribution of Thy-1 is consistent with that seen with the rodent and chicken Thy-1 molecule. In the retina, one antibody (WEHY-MS-1) detected the cat Thy-1 molecule in the ganglion cell layer and on fibres of the inner plexiform and inner nuclear layers. Another antibody (WEHY-MS-2) produced a similar retinal staining pattern except that the ganglion cell layer was devoid of Thy-1. Although the Thy-1 molecule in the rodent and chicken retina have been reported in the ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers, there have been no consistent reports of Thy-1 in the inner nuclear layer. This suggests that this putative cat Thy-1 molecule may have a retinal distribution pattern different from that seen in other species.

We have identified two growth factors for cultured rat astrocytes: fibroblast growth factor, a peptide derived from either whole bovine brain, or pituitaries, and a growth factor in extracts of bovine pituitary which was previously identified as a Schwann cell mitogen. Oligodendrocytes in primary cultures derived from neonatal rat central nervous system divide only rarely if at all. These growth factors did not stimulate primary oligodendrocytes to divide. Occasionally cells found in suspension in long-term cultures of the central nervous system were enriched for cells which were identified as oligodendrocytes by the presence of galactocerebroside on their surface and myelin basic protein in their cytoplasm. When provided with a monolayer of irradiated 3T3 cells, these oligodendrocytes were able to spread out and extend elaborate branched processes typical of oligodendrocytes in the primary cultures. Unlike their counterparts in the primary cultures, these suspension-derived oligodendrocytes are capable of cell division as demonstrated by the uptake of [3H]thymidine and autoradiography.

TerC, a cell line derived from a strain 129 teratocarcinoma 402AX, was used to sensitize syngeneic 129 (H-2bc) splenic lymphocytes in vitro. The effector cells generated inhibited in vitro growth of TerC as measured by an 125I-IUDR ost-labeling technique. It was also shown, with a modified Winn assay, that the sensitized cells were effective in preventing TerC growth in vivo. The effector lymphocyte was nonadherent to nylon wool was sensitive to anti-Thy-1.2 + C, and was phenotypically Ly 1-2+. The anti-TerC effector T lymphocytes were not functional in a 51Cr-release assay. However, this failure to lyse appears not to be due to some intrinsic membrane resistance since both BCG and ConA-activated killers were able to lyse TerC. The TerC-sensitized lymphocytes displayed no H-2 restriction and were able to growth inhibit in vitro a wide range of tumorigenic cell lines, e.g., P815 (H-2d), EL-4 (H-2b),Sal (H-2a), and BALB/c (H-2d) 3T12. Mouse blastocyst cell lines were also inhibited. BALB/c 3T3 and mouse fibroblast cell strains were not growth inhibited. Thus, it appears that oncofetal antigens expressed on TerC are capable of initiating a cell-mediated response and that these antigenic specificities are shared by many transformed cell lines.

One-day-old chicks trained on a single trial passive avoidance task were administered a monoclonal anti-chick Thy-1 antibody, either intracranially or subcutaneously, at various times before and after learning and retention tested at various times post-learning. This procedure resulted in profound amnesia when anti-Thy-1 antibody was administered immediately before learning (5 min) in the case of the subcutaneous injections or 5 min before until 5 min after the learning process with intracranial injections. Antibody administered at other times, either before or after learning had little or no effect on retention. Retention levels were normal until 50 min post-learning, then declined sharply and remained at control levels for the duration of the test period. Chicks injected with anti-chick cerebellum or anti-rat Thy-1 antibodies showed no evidence of amnesia for the concentration of the antibodies used.

Cells in the brain express unusually low levels of antigens encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). This is somewhat surprising as class I (H-2) and class II (Ia) MHC antigens have critical roles in immune responses. The activation of T lymphocytes is associated with the enhanced expression of these antigens and this effect is mediated by a specific T-cell lymphokine, gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma). Here we show that IFN-gamma induces a dramatic increase in the expression of H-2 antigens on the cells of the brain. After exposure to IFN-gamma in vitro, all surviving cells, including most astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia and at least some neurones, express H-2 antigens. Direct injection of IFN-gamma into the brains of mice indicated that H-2 antigens were also induced in vivo. Furthermore, IFN-gamma induced Ia antigens on a subpopulation of astrocytes. The induction of H-2 antigens by IFN-gamma may render brain cells competent to initiate and participate in immune reactions and may therefore contribute to both immunoprotective and immunopathological responses in the brain.

Single cell suspensions of adult mouse brain were shown to contain large numbers of pluripotential hemopoietic stem cells as detected by the ability to form hemopoietic colonies in the spleens of irradiated hosts. These colony forming unit, spleen (CFU-s) cells derived from brain gave rise to colonies identical in morphology and histology to those of bone marrow-derived CFU-s. The average number of CFU-s obtained per 10(5) dissociated adult brain cells was 14, whereas other adult tissues such as lung, kidney, heart, and thymus contained insignificant CFU-s levels when tested. As the level of CFU-s in adult blood is less than 1 per 10(6) nucleated cells, blood contamination does not contribute to the high levels found in adult brain. Individual spleen colonies isolated from irradiated CBA (H-2k) recipients injected with (BALB/c x CBA)F1 (H-2d x H-2k) brain cells were shown by immunofluorescence to contain cells bearing surface H-2d molecules, thus indicating that the colonies arose from the brain cell inoculum and were not endogenously derived. The surface phenotype of brain- and bone marrow-derived CFU-s was found to differ in that brain CFU-s could be inhibited by prior incubation with a monoclonal antibrain antibody B2A2, whereas bone marrow CFU-s were not. Further differences were found between brain and bone marrow CFU-s in the congenitally anemic Wf/Wf mice. These mice were shown to have a very few CFU-s in the adult bone marrow, whereas the brain contained normal adult levels. The large number of hemopoietic stem cells in the brain may indicate an essential requirement for the continual generation of cells such as microglia or phagocytic cells, without the disruption of the blood-brain barrier.

The major function of the oligodendrocyte is to myelinate axons in the central nervous system (CNS). Two of the components of myelin, galactocerebroside (galc) and myelin basic protein (MBP), have been used as markers of oligodendrocyte maturation in the developing CNS, and it has been found that galc+ cells arise initially, which then mature into MBP+ oligodendrocytes several days later. We have been interested in the control of expression of MBP and have followed its appearance in cultures of brain cells isolated from 4 day-old mice. In low serum (0.5% foetal bovine serum), approximately 330 MBP+ cells arise per 2 x 10(5) brain cells after 3 days incubation. We have examined the ability of several growth factors to influence the expression of MBP in these cultures, including epidermal growth factor (EGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and the fibroblast growth factors (acidic and basic FGF). EGF was found to suppress strongly the developmental expression of MBP in these cultures, but the suppression was reversible, since the number of MBP+ cells approached control numbers 3 days after removal of EGF from the cultures. It was also found that MBP could be down-regulated in mature MBP+ oligodendrocytes. The action of EGF in these cultures could be mimicked by transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha). The effects of EGF appear to be associated primarily with MBP production in oligodendrocytes since expression of galc is unaffected by EGF.

Since murine teratocarcinomas and early embryos are known to share cell surface antigens, we investigated the possibility of maternal immune responses to normal pregnancy using teratocarcinoma-derived cell lines as targets. We found that an adherent cell population from both the spleen and peritoneum of syngeneically mated 129/SvSl pregnant females stimulated the uptake of [125I]iododeoxyuridine ( [125I]IUdR) by a teratocarcinoma-derived cell line, TerCs in vitro. Adherent cells from multiparous females did not stimulate the growth of other tumor cell lines. However, levels of natural anti-tumor activity detected in peritoneal cell populations of 129/SvSl virgin females were greatly reduced during pregnancy. Peritoneal cells from multiparous females with growth-stimulating activity were retained on nylon-wool columns and not eliminated by treatment with anti-theta antiserum and complement. Peritoneal cells from virgin females, treated with anti-theta antiserum and complement to eliminate cytotoxic lymphocytes, gained the ability to stimulate the uptake of [125I]IUdR by TerCs cells. [125I]IUdR uptake by cultured normal mouse blastocysts was significantly enhanced by peritoneal cells from multiparous females, while cells from age-matched virgin females had no effect. These results suggest that changes in immunocyte populations occur during pregnancy in the mouse; these changes could promote the growth of the embryo in utero.

The sex steroids dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol (E2), were found to deplete the same cortical population of thymocytes as the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DM) in intact and in adrenalectomized, castrated mice. Although receptors for DM were demonstrated in this cortical population, none were found for E2 or DHT. We suggest that the sex steroids bind to other thymic elements, possibly thymic reticular epithelial cells, which may in turn act secondarily on cortical thymocytes, or their precursors within the thymus.

The relationship between the killing mechanisms of human natural killer (NK) cells, mitogen- and mixed-lymphocyte-culture-induced activated lymphocyte killer (ALK) cells, and monocytes was investigated with a monoclonal antibody. The IgG2 antibody 9.1C3 was prepared from mice immunized with purified human large granular lymphocytes and selected from clones that inhibited NK cell killing. The 9.1C3 antibody bound to all mononuclear cells but not to granulocytes or K562 cells, and it selectively blocked killing of K562 targets by both NK and ALK cells without affecting the binding of effector to target cells. The antibody blocked killing when present from time zero and it still inhibited partially even when added 1 hr after initiation of the lytic reaction. Killing of Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B lymphoblasts by classical cytotoxic T lymphocytes was not inhibited. Of interest, 9.1C3 did block the killing of K562 target cells by cultured peripheral blood monocytes. Other monoclonal antibodies that bound to monocytes did not block killing, and a nonspecific effect of the antibody on monocytes was excluded. These data suggest that NK cells, ALK cells, and monocytes can kill tumor cell targets by using similar lytic mechanisms.

A simplified technique for the production of chimeric thymus completely in vitro from the third pharyngeal pouch (TPP) of 10-day mouse embryos has been examined. The results are similar to those obtained by a more cumbersome technique published by others. This modified technique permits the production of large numbers of synchronized chimeric thymuses, so that sufficient numbers of thymocytes are available for multiple functional assays. TPP may also be maintained in culture, then grafted into normal or thymectomized, irradiated, fetal liver-reconstituted hosts where they undergo development into histologically normal lymphoid thymic tissue.

The expression of Thy-1 on developing sensory neurons cultured in vitro is strictly regulated and follows a temporal course identical to that observed in situ. We have investigated the role of trans-acting factors in this innate regulation by constructing heterokaryons between mature Thy-1.1+ expressing neurons and immature Thy-1.2- neurons. It has been observed by immunofluorescence that within 16 hr of fusion, Thy-1.1 expression is suppressed in such heterokaryons. However, this suppression is reversible, and after 3-4 days in vitro, at the time at which Thy-1.2 is normally expression, there is re-expression of the Thy-1.1 molecule producing Thy-1.1+/Thy-1.2+ co-expressing heterokaryons. As nuclear fusion does not occur, it appears that a developmentally regulated diffusible suppressor molecule is responsible for these observations.

Cell suspensions from 10 breast cancers and 4 melanomas were cultured in soft Agar with phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocyte-conditioned medium (PHA-LCM). Between 3 and 10 days, some of the plated cells formed colonies of greater than 20 cells indentifiable as T-lymphocytes by morphology, cytochemical staining and capacity to form rosettes with sheep erythrocytes. The frequency of colony-forming T-lymphocytes was 0-32 per 2 X 10(5) viable cells plated, and correlated with the degree of lymphocytic infiltration within the tumour. This cloning procedure appeared to select for a subpopulation of T-cells which is well represented within primary tumours. It should prove useful for investigating lymphocyte tumour relationships in vivo.

It was demonstrated in this study that bovine odontogenic tissues and the dissociated cell preparations of such tissues, when transplated to the subcapsular kidney site of hypothymic mice, retained their phenotypic expression and continued function to produce their recognisable products, dentine and enamel matrices. It was also shown that in the grafts of dissociated odontogenic tissues, cell sorting occurred so that histotypical tissues were formed and that their function produced readily recognisable dentine and enamel matrices. Attention has been drawn to the usefulness of this model for studying a variety of events that occur during odontogenesis.

Antiserum raised against a mouse mast cell line (FMP1) reacts with 90% to 100% of spleen colony-forming units (CFU-s), granulocyte/macrophage colony-forming cells (CFC-gm), erythroid burst-forming units (BFU-e), and 15% of nucleated marrow cells, using a complement-dependent cytotoxicity assay. We demonstrated that bone marrow, spleen, or thymus cells are able to absorb this activity from the antiserum. Although mouse brain cells have low reactivity with anti-FMP1 serum, the cytolysis level was reduced to background when antiserum was absorbed with brain cells. In addition, colony formation by marrow CFU-s, CFC-gm, and BFU-e was no longer prevented when the cells were incubated with brain-absorbed anti-FMP1 serum and complement. These findings suggest the presence of brain-associated antigens on CFU-s, CFC-gm, and BFU-e. To test whether a CFU-s accessory cell population in marrow is affected by treatment with anti-FMP1 serum and complement, antibody-treated marrow cells were mixed with large numbers of thymocytes and injected into recipient mice. Colony formation was not altered, indicating that the antiserum reacted directly with antigens on CFU-s and not on CFU-s accessory cells.

The physiological effect of ligand binding to the Thy-1 molecule expressed on the neuronal cell surface was examined. Sensory neurons obtained from dorsal root ganglia of 2-day-old CBA/CAH mice (Thy-1.2) were cultured in vitro for 8 days, and then patch-clamp recordings were obtained of calcium currents. It was found that binding of an anti-Thy-1.2 monoclonal antibody to neurons expressing the Thy-1.2 moiety increased the amplitude of a low-threshold transient calcium current. Monoclonal antibodies directed against the Thy-1.1 molecule or a neuronal surface ganglioside (A2B5) had no effect on this calcium current in Thy-1.2-bearing cells, nor did they interfere with subsequent activation by the anti-Thy-1.2 monoclonal antibody. These results demonstrate that ligand binding to the Thy-1 molecule transduces a physiological signal in sensory neurons by increasing a voltage-activated calcium current.

Lymphoid cells infiltrating metastatic melanomas were grown directly from cell suspensions of tumour tissue by the addition of T cell growth factor. Lymphoid cells grew out at the expense of tumour cells in six of seven freshly excised tumours, and cells from two cultures were expanded for in vitro testing of cytolytic function against different target cells. Early in culture the tumour derived lymphocytes killed fresh autologous melanoma cells and, particularly later in culture, were highly and non-specifically cytolytic for cultured melanoma and non-melanoma cells. Cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with melanoma, and from normal subjects, were cytolytic to the same degree as tumour derived lymphocytes, and also resembled cells grown from tumour tissue in possessing acid phosphatase activity which was resistant to tartrate. Cultured lymphoblasts from both tumour and peripheral blood had a T cell phenotype when analysed with monoclonal antibodies. An in vitro co-culture system was employed to study the kinetics and the precursors of these non-specific killer cells among blood mononuclear cells. Blood mononuclear cells cultured with irradiated B lymphoblasts led to the generation of non-specific cytolytic cells, referred to as activated lymphocyte killer (ALK) cells, after 7-10 days of culture and the progenitors of these ALK cells were demonstrated to be distinct from those of specific cytolytic T cells.

A quantitative assessment of the effects of various fixatives upon the preservation of the Thy-1 surface antigen has been undertaken. A panel of 5 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) have been reacted with mouse lymphocytes treated with various fixatives, and their binding analysed by flow cytometry using a fluorescence activated cell sorter. It was found that 2% paraformaldehyde (PFA) provided the best antigenic preservation, as detected by both the anti Thy-1.1 and anti Thy-1.2 MAbs. The effectiveness of 2% PFA fixation is further demonstrated by the immunohistochemical identification of the Thy-1 antigen in sections of mouse cerebellar cortex.

To study the role of c-myc and N-myc in the immortalization of neural precursors, we infected neuroepithelial cells isolated from 10-day-old mouse embryos with a new retrovirus vector, pzen, harboring either the c-myc or the N-myc oncogene. The immortalized cell lines contain high levels of the virally expressed myc protein. The amount of myc proteins correlated with the capacity of the cells to differentiate spontaneously in vitro into neurons and glia; cell lines expressing high levels of myc protein can differentiate spontaneously while cell lines expressing low levels of the myc protein resemble epithelial cells. Addition of acidic or basic fibroblast growth factor enhanced differentiation of most cell lines. Some of the cell lines produced neurotrophic growth factors capable of supporting the growth of other cell lines at low density. There was no significant difference between cell lines immortalized with c-myc or with N-myc. Most of the immortalized cells lines generated from bipotential precursors are capable of differentiating into neurons and glia.

Immortalized cell lines have been generated from embryonic mouse neuroepithelium by infection with a retrovirus containing the c-myc oncogene. The morphology and the antigenic phenotype of the cloned cell lines are characteristic of normal neuroepithelium. Although the cell lines are stable and do not spontaneously differentiate, morphological changes can be induced with both acidic and basic fibroblast growth factor. Fibroblast growth factor at 5 ng/ml stimulates differentiation of the neuroepithelial cells, and it has been shown that the cloned cell line 2.3D can differentiate into astrocytes, containing glial fibrillary acidic protein, and neurons, expressing the A2B5 marker and neurofilaments. This indicates that some cells in the neuroepithelium at embryonic day 10 are multipotent and are not restricted to either the glial or neuronal cell lineage. The cell lines also can be induced with interferon gamma to express class I and class II histocompatibility antigens. The response of the c-myc-immortalized cell lines to these two factors is similar to that observed with freshly isolated neuroepithelium and suggests that such immortalized precursor populations are representative of the cells found in the developing neuroepithelium.

Myelin is elaborated and maintained in the central nervous system by the oligodendrocyte. The interaction between the oligodendrocyte and the neuron which initiates myelin formation is of major importance, and modern immunological technology using monoclonal antibodies and the fluorescence activated cell sorter have provided the means by which purified homogeneous populations of oligodendrocytes and neurons can be studied in vitro. The oligodendrocyte appears to have limited capacity to divide in situ which may contribute to the vulnerability of such cells in disease states; however it has been found that under certain culture conditions oligodendrocytes can proliferate in vitro. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with loss of oligodendrocytes within the lesions and the intractability of the disease compared to other demyelinating conditions, both experimental and clinical, suggests, that the oligodendrocyte is the primary target of this disease. The cause of oligodendrocyte destruction is as yet uncertain although an immunological response may be in part responsible. The possible mechanism of immune recognition and cytolysis are discussed with regard to the unique nature of the nervous system.