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Release of a Lymphocyte Growth Promoter in Leucocyte Cultures

Nature volume 219, pages 1277–1279 (1968)Cite this article

Abstract

THE small lymphocyte of the human peripheral blood stream appears to be a highly repressed cell with limited cytoplasm, a slow rate of RNA and protein synthesis, and restricted ability to undergo cell division. Transplantation of the cell into tissue culture medium containing phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) initiates a rapid sequence of anabolic changes involving an early acceleration of RNA (ref. 1), phospholipid (unpublished results of G. C. Mueller and D. Fisher) and protein synthesis1. Initiation of DNA synthesis2 and cell division3 follows. We report here our finding that this conversion is strongly dependent on a cell-associated factor which is released into the medium during the initial hours of cultivation. We also present evidence for the existence of a protein in human serum which will substitute for the cell-released factor.

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References

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Author notes

  1. ROBERT C. IMRIE

    Present address: Department of Biochemistry, University of Glasgow,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin

    ROBERT C. IMRIE & GERALD C. MUELLER

Authors
  1. ROBERT C. IMRIE
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  2. GERALD C. MUELLER
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IMRIE, R., MUELLER, G. Release of a Lymphocyte Growth Promoter in Leucocyte Cultures. Nature 219, 1277–1279 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/2191277a0

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