Novel rosette formation of murine spleen cells with autologous red blood cells

Spleen cells of normal BALB/c mice formed rosettes with autologous led bloo d cells, and the formation was calcium ion dependent. Peritoneal exudate ce lls, bone marrow cells and thymocytes did not form such rosettes. Spleen ce lls were passed over a Sephadex G-10 column or incubated on a plastic surfa ce in order to eliminate adherent cells from them. Cells obtained by both t hese methods were unable to form rosettes. B cell-, T cell- and natural kil ler cell-enriched fractions in spleen cells were unable to form rosettes ei ther. Some of the mouse IgG subclasses suppressed rosette formation when ad ded to its site. These are monoclonal antibodies whose specificities are di rected against Aspergillus niger glucose oxidase. Moreover, Aspergillus nig er glucose oxidase suppressed the rosette formation when spleen cells had b een treated with it as well as when it had been added to the site of rosett e formation. These findings suggest that some murine spleen cells have rece ptors to a structure on autologous red blood cells, which is recognized by an anti-Aspergillus niger glucose oxidase monoclonal antibody.