Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol 142, 928-935, Copyright © 1975 by Rockefeller University Press

ARTICLES

Collaboration of allogeneic T and B lymphocytes in the primary antibody response to sheep erythrocytes in vitro

E Heber-Katz and DB Wilson

This study provides a direct quantitative comparison of the helper effects of allogeneic and syngeneic rat T cells in the production of direct SRBC plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses by B cells in culture. In syngeneic T-B combinations, log-log plots of the number of PFC generated after 5.5 days in culture vs. the number of T cells employed as helpers showed a linear response between 10(4) and 2.5 times 10(5) T cells added. Allogeneic T-B combinations, in which the T cells possess the capacity for reactivity to major alloantigens of the B-cell donor, showed a different dose/response relationship in which PFC responses were decreased at high T/B ratios and augmented at low T/B rations. In this system responses were detected with as few as 10(3) allogeneic T cells. Use of negatively selected allogeneic T populations, specifically depleted of mixed lymphocyte interaction (MLI) and graft- vs-host reactivity for B-cell alloantigens, as helpers gave dose/response curves quantitatively identical to responses with syngeneic T-B combinations and also with F1 T-cell parental B-cell combinations. These data indicate that rat T and B cells need not share a major histocompatibility complex haplotype in order to collaborate effectively in a primary direct PFC response to SRBC in culture. In addition, the PFC response required the combinaed presence of T and B cells as well as antigen in the cultures, a finding consistent with the two signal model of B-cell activation. Finally, the dose/response data obtained suggest the possibility that although SRBC antigen is required in the cultures helper activity with low numbers of normal allogeneic T cells may not depend on T cells having specificity for this antigen.
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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Paul, W., Benacerraf, B (1977). Functional specificity of thymus- dependent lymphocytes. Science 195: 1293-1300 [Abstract]  
• Boehmer, H. v., Sprent, J., Haas, W. (1977). The Influence of H-2 Gene Products on Cell-mediated and Humoral Immune Responses. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 41: 539-545 [Abstract]  
• Paul, W. E., Shevach, E. M., Thomas, D. W., Pickeral, S. F., Rosenthal, A. S. (1977). Genetic Restriction in T-lymphocyte Activation by Antigen-pulsed Peritoneal Exudate Cells. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 41: 571-578 [Abstract]  
• Katz, D. H. (1977). The Role of the Histocompatibility Gene Complex in Lymphocyte Differentiation. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 41: 611-624 [Abstract]  

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