Glycolipid markers of murine lymphocyte subpopulations.

We have shown previously that purified antibodies to ganglioside GM1 react with peripheral T cells and most thymocytes in several strains of mice, independent of Thy-1 phenotype. GM1 and the Thy-1.2 antigen cap independently on C3H thymocytes, which provides additional evidence that GM1 is not the Thy-1.2 antigen. In C3H and nude mice antibodies to GM1 also react with a population of cells, comprising about 25% of lymphocytes from lymph nodes or spleen, that bear surface immunoglobulin. After removal of immunoglobulin from these cells by digestion with proteolytic enzyme, the GM1+ cells regenerate their surface immunoglobulin during 18 hr in culture, which indicates that these double-labeled cells synthesize their surface immunoglobulin. Protease treatment of lymphocytes reveals receptors for antibodies to GM1 on most cells. These data indicate that T and B cells differ in the accessibility of GM1 to antibody, and not necessarily in their content of GM1. Purified antibodies to asialo GM1 react with mature T cells in all strains of mice tested. In contrast to anti-GM1, these antibodies do not react with most thymocytes, with immunoglobulin-bearing lymphocytes of C3H or nude mice, nor with pronase-treated B cells.