Summary
Cytochemical investigations of ATPase activity were performed on lymphocytes isolated from peripheral blood and activatedin vitro by phytohaemagglutinin or by the two-way mixed lymphocyte reaction. Uncultured lymphocytes showed very little activity localized in small granules. The activity increased markedly during transformation. In fully transformed and actively proliferating cells, the ATPase activity was intense and localized in a crescentic perinuclear area of cytoplasm which was pale-staining and vesicular in Giemsa-stained preparations. In mitotic cells, the activity was in discrete granules or elongated structures suggestive of mitochondria, scattered throughout the cytoplasm. The ATPase activity had a pH optimum of 8.5 to 9.5 and was strongly inhibited at pH 7.5. The activity was stimulated by Ca2+ and Mg2+ and was inhibited byp-chloromercuribenzoate but not by oligomycin, which appeared to enhance the reaction. Lead nitrate at a concentration of 3mm did not inhibit the reaction.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barker, B. E. &Farnes, P. (1967) Histochemistry of blood cells treated with pokeweed mitogen.Nature, Lond. 214, 787–9.
Coulson, A. A. (1969) Recognition pathway in lymphocytes.Journal theoret. Biol. 25, 127–36.
Ellegaard, J. &Dimitrov, N. V. (1972) ATPase activity of lymphocytes from normal individuals and patients with cancer.Cancer 30, 881–4.
Fischer, R. &Gropp, A. (1966) Cytochemie des Lymphocyten in vitro.Klin. Wschr. 44, 733–8.
Greaves, M. F. &Janossy, G. (1972) Elicitation of selective T and B lymphocyte responses by cell surface binding ligands.Transplant. Rev. 11, 87.
Greaves, M. F., Owen, J. J. T. &Raff, M. C. (1974)T and B Lymphocytes. Origins, Properties and Roles in Immune Responses, p. 93. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica.
Hirschhorn, R., Kaplan, J. M., Goldberg, A. F., Hirschhorn, K. &Weissman, G. (1965) Acid phosphatase rich granules in human lymphocytes induced by phytohaemagglutinin.Science 147, 55.
Li, C. Y., Yam, L. T. &Lam, K. W. (1970) Acid phosphatase isoenzyme in human leucocytes in normal and pathological conditions.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 18, 473–81.
Nadler, H. L., Dowben, R. M. &Hsia, R. J. (1969) Enzyme changes and polyribosome profiles in PHA stimulated lymphocytes.Blood 34, 52–8.
Otto, B. (1977) DNA-dependent ATPases in concanavalin A-stimulated lymphocytes.FEBS Lett. 79, 175–8.
Padykula, N. A. &Herman, E. (1955) Factors affecting the activity of adenosine triphosphatase and other phosphatases as measured by histochemical techniques.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 3, 161–7.
Quaglino, D., Hayhoe, F. G. J. &Flemans, R. J. (1962) Cytochemical observations on the effect of phytohaemagglutinin in short term tissue cultures.Nature, Lond. 196, 338–40.
Wachstein, M. &Meisel, E. (1957) Histochemistry of hepatic phosphatases at a physiologic pH with special reference to the demonstration of bile canaliculi.Am. J. clin. Pathol. 27, 13.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cuschieri, A. Cytochemical demonstration of increased adenosine triphosphatase activity in lymphocytes activatedin vitro by phytohaemagglutinin or by the mixed lymphocyte reaction. Histochem J 14, 139–148 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01041136
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01041136