In vitro induction of Lyt surface markers on precursor cells incubated with thymosin polypeptides
Ahmed, A.; Smith, A.H.; Wong, D.M.; Thurman, G.B.; Goldstein, A.L.; Sell, K.W.
Cancer Treatment Reports 62(11): 1739-1747
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0361-5960 PMID: 310340 Document Number: 128100
Induction of precursor T cells by thymosin fraction 5 was found to generate a population of cells bearing the Lyt 1+, 2+, and 3+ phenotype and functionally capable of providing T-cell helper activity in vitro. However, when the component polypeptides of thymosin fraction 5 were similarly analyzed, several displayed inductive activities quite different from those of the parent preparation. These results suggest that variations in the polypeptide composition determine, to a large part, the inductive properties of a thymosin preparation and that such variations in vivo may serve as a regulatory system for T-cell maturation.