Antigen-specific T cells that form IgE-potentiating factor, IgG-potentiating factor, and antigen-specific glycosylation-enhancing factor on antigenic stimulation

BDF₁ mice were immunized with alum-absorbed OVA and T cell hybridomas were constructed from their splenic T cells. Many of the hybridomas constitutively produced glycosylation enhancing factor (GEF), which could switch the T cell hybridoma 23A4 cells from the formation of IgE-suppressive factors to the formation of IgE-potentiating factors. When one of the hybridoma clones, 12H5, was incubated with OVA-pulsed syngeneic or semi-syngeneic (H-2^b) macrophages, the hybridoma produced GEF that have affinity for OVA, but not for either keyhole limpet hemocyanin or BSA. However, the same hybridoma constitutively produced nonspecific GEF, that lacked affinity for OVA. Upon incubation with OVA-pulsed macrophages, the same hybridoma produced both IgE-potentiating factors and IgG-potentiating factors which selectively enhance the IgE response and IgG response, respectively. Both Ag-specific GEF and nonspecific GEF from the hybridoma bind to p-aminobenzamidine-agarose, and are recovered by elution with benzamidine. It was also found that both OVA-specific GEF and nonspecific GEF from the hybridoma induced the release of arachidonic acid from phospholipids of mouse fibrosarcoma cell line, HSDM₁C₁ cells. GEF formed by the 12H5 hybridoma bound to alloantibodies reactive to the product(s) of the I-A^b subregion of major histocompatibility complex. The Ag-specific GEF consisted of two M(r) species of 70 to 90 kDa and 50 to 60 kDa, whereas nonspecific GEF consisted of 50 to 60 kDa and 25 to 30 kDa molecules. Reduction and alkylation treatment of the OVA-specific GEF resulted in the formation non-specific GEF, suggesting that Ag-specific GEF is composed of Ag-binding polypeptide chain and non-specific GEF.