Abstract
ALTHOUGH B and T lymphocytes (derived from the bone marrow or thymus, respectively) are functionally different, they are not morphologically distinguishable by ordinary light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Thus immunospecific labels had to be developed for these methods to identify populations of lymphocytes1,2. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been reported to show that T cells are smooth and B cells are villous3,4. This conclusion, however, is controversial, and it is uncertain whether T and B lymphocytes can be distinguished by SEM appearance5,6. We have now used immunospecific latex markers, which can be visualised by SEM, to identify cells with known T and B-associated antigenic surface determinants in the mouse. Mouse B cells have small stubby projections and are generally smoother than mouse T cells, which may be either villous or have few projections, but there is no distinct morphological difference.
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LINTHICUM, D., SELL, S., WAGNER, R. et al. Scanning immunoelectron microscopy of mouse B and T lymphocytes. Nature 252, 173–175 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/252173a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/252173a0
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