Abstract
Tunicate pharyngeal cells include lymphocyte-like cells and granular amoebocytes. They are involved in the specific allogeneic and phagocytic reactions of tunicates. Little is known about their regulation or control. A tunicate interleukin 1 (IL-1)-like fraction is shown to stimulate the proliferation of these cells in vitro. This fraction, designated tunicate IL-1β, was isolated from tunicate hemolymph by gel filtration and chromatofocusing chromatography. Mitogenic responses to tunicate IL-1β were dose dependent and could be eliminated rapidly by removing tunicate IL-1β from culture medium. A second tunicate hemolymph fraction had no effect on tunicate cell proliferation even though it exhibited IL-1-like activity in a mouse thymocyte proliferation assay. Phytohemagglutinin did not act synergistically with either fraction. These data are discussed in terms of the function and evolution of IL-1-like molecules in invertebrates.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 9518-9522 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 88 |
Issue number | 21 |
Publication status | Published - 1991 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Immunology
- Lymphokines
- Mitogenesis
- Urochordata