The majority of mouse spontaneous rosette-forming cells of thymic origin belong to the Ly-2+ subset (original) (raw)

Spontaneous sheep erythrocyte rosette-forming T cells (T-sRFC) found in normal mouse spleen are specific for the xenogeneic species of red cells and are distinct from human E rosettes as illustrated by their persistence after sheep red blood cell (SRBC) incubation with anti-LFA-3 monoclonal antibodies directed against SRBC molecule binding to the E rosette receptor. We confirm here using monoclonal antibodies that T-sRFC are Thy-l'CD3'. Additionally, using cell separation techniques based on panning and cell sorting, it is shown that the vast majority of spleen sRFC have the L3T4-Ly-2' phenotype. As already shown for anti-Thy-1 antibodies, anti-CD3 and anti-Ly-2 antibodies block rosette formation, whereas antibodies to more abundant cell surface antigens (nW, H-2Db) are not inhibitory. These data suggest that the interaciton of T-sRFC with SRBC occurs at or near the T cell receptor. 0 VCH Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, D-6940 Weinheim, 1989