Association of a low molecular weight helper factor(s) with thymocyte proliferative activity.

Human mixed leukocyte supernatants contain thymocyte proliferative activity (TPA) and a low m.w. helper factor, designated HP-1, which is capable of partially restoring the antibody response of T-cell-deficient adherent murine spleen cells to the thymic-dependent antigen, SRC. TPA and HP-1 appear to have a comparable m.w. (14,000 to 14,500 daltons) by Sephadex gel filtration column chromatography. Furthermore, HP-1 and TPA exhibit similar patterns of heterogeneity on DEAE-cellulose chromatography, elute together on CM-cellulose chromatography, and manifest identical patterns of migration on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These data suggest that the TPA and HP-1 activities reside in either the same molecule(s) or in different molecules with identical charge/mass ratios. Furthermore, the results support the hypothesis that the helper activity of HP-1 is derived from its capacity to activate T and/or pre-T cells.