Dependence of antibody formation in lymphocyte cultures on incubation temperature

Abstract

The increase in the number of antibody-forming cells (AFC) and in the incorporation of [3H]thymidine with a rise in the incubation temperature from 2 to 37°C was studied in cultures of spleen cells from immunized and nonimmunized C57BL/6 mice. An exponential increase in the number of AFC was found with an increase in temperature, and the existence of a “critical” temperature was demonstrated, above which the rate of increase in the number of AFC rises sharply. The curves showing increased incorporation of [3H]thymidine with an increase in temperature in some cases diverged from the curves of the increase in the number of AFC. Culture of immune cells at low temperatures leads to the accumulation of factors stimulating AFC formation in the medium.