Sensitivity of pre-T cells to natural thymocytotoxic autoantibodies developed in New Zealand Black mice.

The effect of affinity purified natural thymocytotoxic autoantibodies from New Zealand Black (NZB) mice (NTA-1 and NTA-2) against pre-T cells was studied. Pre-treatment of spleen cells from nu/nu mice or bone marrow cells from DBA/2 mice with NTA-1 and complement (C) or with NTA-2 and C markedly inhibited the induction of T cell markers with a thymic extract in vitro. The effect of NTA-2 and C was abolished by absorption of NTA-2 with neuraminidase treated thymocytes, whereas its effect was not abolished by absorption with intact thymocytes. The effect of NTA-1 and C was abolished by absorption of NTA-1 with either neuraminidase treated thymocytes or intact thymocytes. The effect of NTA-2 was inhibited by lactose whereas the effect of NTA-1 was not. These results suggest that NTA-2 specifically recognizes the cell surface characteristics of pre-T cells and blocks the differentiation pathway of T cells.