Studies on T-lymphocyte activation. I. Is competence inductions in thymocytes by phorbol myristate acetate, an accessory cell-independent event?

The effect of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) on lectin-induced murine thymocyte activation was studied. PMA itself failed to stimulate thymocyte proliferation, but potentiated concanavalin A (Con A)-induced thymocyte activation. A brief incubation of thymocytes with PMA changed the responsiveness of these cells to an optimal mitogenic dose of Con A present during the entire subsequent culture period. Further studies showed that PMA induced in a dose-dependent way within 30 min. an optimal competence of thymocytes to respond to the T-cell growth factor interleukin-2 (IL-2). In contrast to lectin-triggered competence induction, PMA-triggered induction of competence in thymocytes seemed to be independent of accessory cells.