Initiation of antibody responses by different classes of lymphocytes. I. Types of thoracic duct lymphocytes involved in primary antibody responses of rats

Thoracic duct cells and spleen cells were tested for their ability to restore the primary antibody response of X-irradiated rats to bovine serum albumin (BSA), sheep red blood cells (SRBC), horse spleen femtin (HSF), and Salmonella typhi flagella. Spleen cells were at least as efficient as thoracic duct cells in restoring the response to BSA, HSF, and Salmonella typhi flagella. In further experiments thoracic duct cells lacking large dividing lymphocytes were tested for their ability to restore the primary response. Large lymphocytes were eliminated by the in vitro incubation of thoracic duct cells for 24 hr at 37°C or by treatment of thoracic duct cell donors with the mitotic inhibitor vinblastine sulfate 24 hr prior to cannulation of the thoracic duct. Experiments with SRBC show that incubated cells and cells from vinblastine-treated donors are as efficient as normal cells in restoring the primary antibody response. On the other hand, experiments with HSF and Salmonella typhi flagella show that incubated cells and cells from vinblastine-treated donors are about five times less efficient than normal cells in restoring the response. Normal thoracic duct cells were more efficient than incubated cells but less efficient than cells from vinblastine-treated donors in restoring the early response to BSA. The experimental findings indicate that the classes of thoracic duct lymphocytes which initiate the primary antibody response to SRBC differ from the classes which initiate the response to HSF and Salmonella typhi flagella, or BSA.     

Blocking and redistribution ("capping") of antigen receptors on T and B lymphocytes by anti-immunoglobulin antibody

Antigen-binding T and B lymphocytes were studied by combined autoradiography and immunofluorescence; mouse spleen lymphocytes binding the antigens, [¹²⁵I]MSH or [¹²⁵I]TIGAL, were incubated with rhodamine-labeled anti-Ig reagents or with a rhodamine-labeled IgG fraction of anti-θ serum. B cells were identified as Ig+ or θ-, T cells as Ig- or θ+. It was found that: (a) 20% (1–2 mo after priming) to 30% (3.5–4 mo after priming) of the antigen-binding cells were T cells. (b) The range of antigen molecules bound by B and T cells was similar. (c) Binding of antigen to B and T cells was inhibited by polyvalent anti-Ig, anti-µ, or anti-L reagents. Binding to T cells was more readily inhibited than to B cells. Normal rabbit serum, antimouse lymphocyte serum, or anti-θ did not inhibit antigen binding. (d) When Ig at the surface of B cells was induced, by noninhibiting concentrations of anti-Ig reagents, to redistribute into polar caps and the cells subsequently exposed to [¹²⁵I)antigen under noncapping conditions, the [¹²⁵I]antigen silver grains were distributed in caps superimposed on the Ig fluorescent cap. Of crucial importance, antigen was found in cap in the same proportion of T cells as B cells. Significant capping of antigen receptors was not induced in B or T cells with normal rabbit serum or by anti-Ig reagents absorbed with mouse Ig. The main conclusions of this series of experiments using direct visualization of antigen-binding B and T lymphocytes is that T cells have antigen-specific receptors, probably of IgM nature, and that the number of these receptors appears to range in the order of thousands.     

Role of a nonimmunoglobulin cell surface determinant in the activation of B lymphocytes by thymus-independent antigens.

Lyb 5 is a B-cell alloantigen which is expressed on 50-60% of B cells. It was defined originally on the basis of cytotoxicity. We have described a new reactivity within the anti-Lyb 5 serum on the basis of selective inhibition of antibody responses in vitro by this antiserum in the absence of complement. This inhibitory activity of anti-Lyb 5.1 serum appears to be due to recognition of antigenic determinants different from the prototype antigens detected in the cytotoxicity assay. Anti-Lyb 5 serum incorporated into spleen cell cultures selectively inhibits antibody responses to a class of thymus-independent antigens (TI-2) previously characterized by their failure to elicit antibody formation in immature mice or in the defective CBA/N strain. Responses to optimal concentrations of TI-1 antigens, which can induce antibody synthesis in these mice, are unaffected by the addition of anti-Lyb 5.1 serum. The B-cell alloantigen defined by this functional assay is designated tentatively Lyb 7 and it is shown to be distinct from cell surface immunoglobulins. Lyb 7 appears to have a role in the activation of B lymphocytes by the TI-2 class of thymus-independent antigens.     

Clustering of dendritic cells, helper T lymphocytes, and histocompatible B cells during primary antibody responses in vitro

Mouse spleen suspensions generate discrete cell clusters within 1-2 d of culture. We have isolated these clusters by velocity sedimentation to study their contribution to primary antibody responses. Clusters represent approximately 5% of the starting spleen cells and consist of 20-50% B cells, 20-50% T cells, and 10-20% dendritic cells (DC). When the cultures are stimulated with thymus-dependent antigens, like heterologous red cells or dinitrophenyl-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (DNP-KLH), the clusters are the principal site for the development of plaque-forming cells (PFC). Noncluster fractions form few PFC and only when supplemented with fresh DC. PFC responses in all cases are antigen specific. B cells cluster only in the presence of T cells and DC (1 DC/200 B-T cell mixtures) and only after encountering specific antigen. The elimination of either DC or Lyt-1+2- T cells, with monoclonal antibody and complement, ablates B cell development into PFC. PFC responses are restored with antigen-nonspecific helper factors formed in the syngeneic mixed leukocyte reaction between DC and T cells. Since PFC to DNP-KLH do not develop de novo when B cells are exposed to antigen and helper factors, anti-DNP PFC precursors must be stimulated within clusters to become responsive to helper factors. PFC development within clusters is restricted by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). When DC and T cells are from strain P1, then P1 but not P2 B cells develop into PFC; when DC are from strain P2 and T cells from strain P1, strain P2 B cells are selected to become PFC in clusters. The entry of B cells into clusters is itself MHC restricted, since P1 DC/T cells aggregate six times as many B cells from strain P1 as strain P2. Thus, clusters are the site in which DC, B, and T cells interact to generate PFC. One can use clusters to retrieve B cells that have been selected in an antigen-dependent, MHC-restricted fashion and to show that clustering B cells become responsive to soluble, polyclonal helper factors.     

Cellular and genetic control of antibody responses. V. Helper T-cell recognition of H-2 determinants on accessory cells but not B cells

Requirements for helper T-cell recognition of H-2 determinants expressed on adherent accessory cells and on B cells was individually assessed in the anti-hapten PFC responses to TNP-KLH. Complicating allogeneic effects were minimized or avoided by the use of helper T cells from normal F1 hybrids, parent leads to F1 chimeras, and F1 leads to parent chimeras. The results of both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that: (a) helper T cells are not required to recognize the identical H-2 determinants on both accessory cells and B cells; (b) helper T cells are required to recognize K or I-A region-encoded determinants expressed on accessory cells; (c) no requirement was observed in vitro or in vivo for helper T-cell recognition of B-cell-expressed H-2 determinants; and (d) no requirement was observed for H-2 homology between accessory cells and B cells. The absence of required helper T-cell recognition of the identical H-2 determinants on both accessory cells and B cells was demonstrated in two ways: (a) naive of KLH-primed (A x B)F1 hybrid helper T cells collaborated equally well with B cells from either parentA or parentB in the presence of accessory cells from either parent; (b) A leads to (A x B)F1 chimeric spleen cells depleted of accessory cells collaborated equally well with accessory cells from either parentA or parentB, even though the B cells only expressed the H-2 determinants of parentA. A requirement for helper T-cell recognition of K or I-A region-encoded H-2 determinants on accessory cells was also demonstrated in two ways: (a) (A x B)F1 leads to parentA chimeric spleen cells depleted of accessory cells collaborated with accessory cells from parentA but not parentB; and (b) (A x B)F1 leads to parentA chimeric helper T cells collaborated with normal F1 B cells only in the presence of parental or recombinant accessory cells that expressed the K or I-A region-encoded determinants of parentA. Although restricted in their ability to recognize H-2 determinants on accessory cells, it was demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo that (A x B)F1 leads to parentA chimeric helper T cells were able to collaborate with B cells from either parentA or parentB. In vitro in the presence of accessory cells from parentA, (A x B)F1 leads to parentA chimeric helper T cells collaborated equally well with B cells from either parent. In addition, the inability of (A x B)F1 leads to parentA chimeric helper T cells to collaborate with (B + accessory) cells from parentB was successfully reversed by the addition of parentA SAC as added accessory cells. In vivo, upon the addition of parentA accessory cells, (A x B)F1 leads to parentA chimeric helper T cells collaborated with parentB B cells in short-term adoptive transfer experiments.     

Somatic hypermutation shapes the antibody repertoire of memory B cells in humans

High-affinity antibodies produced by memory B cells differ from antibodies produced in naive B cells in two respects. First, many of these antibodies show somatic hypermutation, and second, the repertoire of antibodies expressed in memory responses is highly selected. To determine whether somatic hypermutation is responsible for the shift in the antibody repertoire during affinity maturation, we analyzed the immunoglobulin lambda light chain (Iglambda) repertoire expressed by naive and antigen-selected memory B cells in humans. We found that the Iglambda repertoire differs between naive and memory B cells and that this shift in the repertoire does not occur in the absence of somatic hypermutation in patients lacking activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). Our work suggests that somatic hypermutation makes a significant contribution to shaping the antigen-selected antibody repertoire in humans.     

Immunological memory in mice. I. Physical separation and partial characterization of memory cells for different immunoglobulin classes from each other and from antibody-producing cells

Plaque forming cells (PFC) of different immunoglobulin classes producing antibodies against sheep erythrocytes were separated according to their buoyant densities by means of equilibrium centrifugation in a stepwise BSA gradient. In the period of 7–10 days after immunization γM PFC are markedly enriched in fractions of low density and relatively depleted in fractions of high density. The distribution of total γG PFC shows less enrichment in the lower density fractions and less depletion in the higher density fractions. The density profile for γG_2a PFC is even flatter, with a significant difference (depletion) relative to the unseparated spleen cells only in the highest density fraction. The density gradient distributions of cells able to transfer an adoptive immune response of the various immunoglobulin classes are markedly different from the PFC distribution. Cells obtained 7–10 days after immunization able to transfer an IgM response are present in the same proportions across the density gradient, whereas memory cells for γG_2a obtained at this time are markedly enriched in fractions of low density and virtually depleted from high density fractions. With increasing time after primary immunization, the γG_2a memory cells increase progressively in density and by 6 weeks the higher and lower density fractions have the same proportions of γG_2a memory cells. The total γG (mainly γG₁) memory cells by 7–10 days show slight enrichment in low density fractions and no depletion in high density fractions. The conclusions were reached that (a) memory for γG₁ develops earlier than memory for γG_2a and (b) that memory for anti-SRBC antibodies of different classes is carried in separate cells. When gradient fractions enriched for PFC and memory cells for all classes were completely depleted of PFC using glass bead columns, the ability of this fraction to transfer memory for all classes was not diminished. This shows that memory cells are not identical with cells secreting antibodies.     

Expression of IgD by murine lymphocytes. Loss of surface IgD indicates maturation of memory B cells

B lymphocytes capable of generating primary IgM and IgG plaque-forming cells (PFC) responses to burro erythrocytes have surface IgD, as do primary IgM PFC. IgG memroy cells arising after one injection of antigen are divided into two groups, one of which expresses surface IgD while the other has no detectable membrane IgD. PFC generated from the IgG memory cells lacking surface IgD show a higher average avidity than those arising from IgD-positive IgG memory cells, indicating that mature IgG memory cells do not have surface IgD. After more than one injection of antigen, few, if any, IgG memory cells have surface IgD. IgG PFC arising in primary or secondary immune response lack membrane-bound IgD. These data provide the outlines for a B-cell maturation pathway in which IgD marks unprimed and early memory B cells and is lost in mature memory cells. Studies presented here were conducted by isolating IgD+ and IgD- cells with the fluorescence-activated cell sorter and functional testing of the isolated populations in adoptive transfer experiments.     

Selective roles of thymus-derived lymphocytes in the antibody response. I. Differential suppressive effect of carrier-primed T cells on hapten-specific IgM and IgG antibody responses

Passively transferred thymocytes and spleen cells from donors primed with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) exerted differential suppressive effect on IgM and IgG antibody responses of syngeneic recipients immunized with DNP-KLH depending primarily on the time when KLH-primed cells were transferred. This was demonstrated by the decrease in the numbers of DNP-specific direct and indirect PFC in the spleen of the recipients given KLH-primed cells at different times during primary and secondary immunization. Whereas the cell transfer simultaneously with or 2 days after the primary immunization produced only slight suppression of the peak IgM antibody response, it caused profound suppression of late IgM and IgG antibody responses. By contrast, the cell transfer 3 days after the immunization produced immediate suppression of the ongoing IgM antibody response resulting in its earlier termination, while being unable to prevent the induction of IgG antibody response. KLH-primed cells could moderately suppress the secondary anti-DNP antibody response, in which IgG antibody response was found to be slightly more sensitive than IgM antibody response to the suppressive influence of KLH-primed cells. The suppressive effect of the KLH-primed spleen cells was completely eliminated by the in vitro treatment of the cells with anti-θ and C before cell transfer, indicating that cells responsible for the suppression are, in fact, T cells. The suppression of DNP-specific antibody response by KLH-primed T cells was achieved only if the recipients were immunized with DNP-KLH but not with DNP-heterologous carrier, suggesting that direct interaction between T and B cells is necessary for the suppression of the antibody response. It is concluded that susceptibility of B cells to the specific suppressive influence of T cells is inherently different depending on the differentiation stage of B cells and on the immunoglobulin class they are destined to produce.     

Hapten-specific IgE antibody responses in mice. II. Cooperative interactions between adoptively transferred T and B lymphocytes in the development of IgE response

The present studies have established conditions for the demonstration of cooperative interactions between specific T and B lymphocyte populations in the development of IgE antibody responses in vivo in mice. This has been accomplished by utilizing a system which permits the successful adoptive transfer to irradiated recipients of DNP-specific secondary IgE responses with spleen cells from suitably primed syngeneic donor mice. Thus, adoptively transferred DNP-KLH or DNP-ASC-primed spleen cells produced high levels of anti-DNP antibodies of both IgE and IgG antibody classes in response to challenge with the appropriate homologous priming conjugate but failed to develop more than meager responses to the reciprocal heterologous conjugate. However, when spleen cells from donors primed to the second carrier were concomitantly transferred with hapten-primed lymphocytes, secondary IgE ant-DNP responses were consistently obtained upon challenge with the heterologous conjugate. Moreover, we have been able to elicit augmented primary IgE anti-DNP antibody responses to either DNP-ASC or DNP-KLH after adoptive transfer of spleen cells from donors primed only to the carrier, ASC or KLH, respectively. This adoptive transfer system has enabled us to provide direct proof for the participation of θ-bearing T lymphocytes in antibody responses of the IgE class. Thus, the capacity of ASC-primed spleen cells to effectively cooperate with the DNP-KLH-primed lymphocytes in the adoptive secondary response to DNP-ASC could be abolished by in vitro treatment of such cells with anti-θ serum plus complement. This was true not only for the anti-DNP response of the IgG antibody class, but for the IgE antibody class as well. These studies have, furthermore, demonstrated the capacity to stimulate secondary anti-DNP antibody production in vivo by the concomitant administration of the DNP and relevant carrier determinants on separate molecules. This was more readily seen in the IgE than in the IgG antibody class. Thus, DNP-ASC-primed cells developed significant IgE, but more variable IgG, anti-DNP responses upon challenge with DNP-KLH plus unconjugated ASC. Antibody responses of both classes elicited in this manner were appreciably improved by the transfer of additional carrier (ASC)-primed cells. These and other results presented herein suggest that IgE B lymphocyte precursors may be inherently more sensitive than IgG B cells to at least certain of the functions of T lymphocytes concerned with regulatory mechanisms involved in antibody production.     

Polyclonal activation of human B lymphocytes by Fc fragments. I. Characterization of the cellular requirements for Fc fragment-mediated polyclonal antibody secretion by human peripheral blood B lymphocytes

Fc fragments derived from human immunoglobulin were found to be capable of inducing both a proliferative and polyclonal antibody response in human peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures. The cell population proliferating in response to Fc fragments belongs to the B cell lineage. Expression of polyclonal antibody formation requires the presence of both adherent monocytes and T cells. The role of the monocyte is to enzymatically cleave the Fc fragment into 19,000 mol wt Fc subfragments that are then able to induce polyclonal antibody secretion. Stimulation of polyclonal antibody production by Fc subfragments occurs in the absence of adherent monocytes but still requires the presence of T cells.     

Tolerance induction in B lymphocytes but thymus-dependent antigens. T cells may abrogate B-cell tolerance induction by prevent an antibody response

Thymus-dependent protein antigens such as fowl gamma globulin (FGG) and dinitrophenylated-human gamma globulin (DNP-HGG), readily induced tolerance of the B cell in the absence of T cells even when these antigens were not deaggregated. However, when the same doses of antigen were given in the presence of T cells, the B-cell population was shown to be protected from tolerance induction, especially when the antigen was not in a deaggregated form. In this case, there was in fact evidence of a priming effect, manifest in both the B-cell and T-cell populations. The priming effect on the B-cell population was demonstrated by an increased response of mice pretreated with DNP-HGG, upon challenge with DNP conjugated to a heterologous carrier. The priming effect on the T-cell population was evident in a helper effect demonstrated in vitro. However, when euthymic mice which had been pretreated with large doses of FGG or DNP-HGG were challenged with the homologous carrier, the results were different. In this case, there was a profound suppression of the response against the carrier or the hapten on that carrier. Suppressor activity was also demonstrated in vitro and was shown to be sensitive to treatment with anti-theta-serum plus complement. Additionally it was shown that the effector phase of the suppression had a definite nonantigen-specific component. Thus, in pretreated euthymic mice, provided the homologous carrier was present, the response to a heterologous carrier was also suppressed. To account for the observation that nondeaggregated antigens can induce B-cell tolerance in athymic mice, but B-cell priming and T-cell-mediated suppression in euthymic mice, it is proposed that B-cell tolerance occurs when antigen at some critical dose interacts with the B cell in the absence of some second signal. This second signal is normally provided by the macrophage, probably with the assistance of the T cell, and its effect is to divert the result of the interaction of the B cell with antigen towards immunization and away from tolerance induction. When a large dose of an antigen that tends to form aggregates is given to an animal possessing functional T cells, both T-dependent helper and T-dependent suppressor activities are generated, thus accounting for a situation where the B-cell population is immunized, but B-cell activation is suppressed in the presence of the original carrier.     

Immunological tolerance in bone marrow-derived lymphocytes. 3. Tolerance induction in primed B cells by hapten conjugates of unrelated immunogenic or "nonimmunogenic" carriers

The present studies were designed to probe the role(s) of T cells in preventing or altering tolerance induction in hapten-specific B cells. This was accomplished by using hapten conjugates of normally immunogenic heterologous carriers to selectively inhibit 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP)-primed B cells in adoptive transfer experiments in vivo. The data provide strong indications that one critical role of T-cell participation in humoral responses to antigens is to circumvent the development of a tolerogenic signal that, in the absence of such T-cell function, might otherwise ensue after binding of the antigenic determinants by specific precursor B lymphocytes.     

Cell interactions between histoincompatible T and B lymphocytes. VII. Cooperative responses between lymphocytes are controlled by genes in the I region of the H-2 complex

The results of this study provide compelling evidence for the existence of the gene or genes controlling optimal T-B-cell cooperative interactions in the designated I region of the H-2 gene complex. Previously, we have speculated that the relevant gene(s) involved may well be located in this region based on several observations from our earlier work in this area (3, 5, 6). Thus, in the preceding paper, we showed that T and B cells from B10.BR and A strain mice developed effective cooperative interactions in vitro to DNP-KLH in a system identical to the one reported herein. Since these mice differ for genes in the S and D regions of H-2 but are identical for K and I region genes, we were able to localize the critical genes to the K-end of H-2.     

Synthesis of two classes of antibody, gammaM and gammaG or gammaM and gammaA, by identical cells. Amplification of the antibody response to pneumococcal polysaccharide type III.

Class-specific plaque-forming cell (PFC) (gammaM, gamma1, gamma2, and gammaA) responses to type III pneumococcal polysaccharide (SSS-III) were studied in BALB/c x C57BL/6F1 (CBF1) mice with and without induction of an allogeneic effect. Gamma1, gamma2, and gammaA PFC were detected in two ways: (a) With the sequential development of the assay slides, first for direct (gammaM)PFC followed by incubation with class-specific antiimmunoglobulin and complement for the development of additional gamma1, gamma2, and gammaA PFC (gammaM-independent gamma1, gamma2, and gammaA PFC); and (b) by blocking gammaM PFC with goat anti-gammaM and simultaneously developing gamma1, gamma2, and gammaA PFC (total gamma1-, gamma2-, and gammaA-secreting PFC). The results showed that whereas gammaM PFC arose on the 3rd d after immunization, gamma1-, gamma2-, and gammaA-secreting PFC arose on the 4th to 5th d after immunization. They appeared in association with gammaM-secreting PFC because they were detected with the gammaM blocking method but not with the sequential method. By the 7th d most gamma1, gamma2, and gammaA PFC were detected by the sequential method as well, indicating that those antibodies were secreted independently of cells secreting gammaM. When the numbers of double-class-secreting PFC were evaluated on the 5th d, the following results were obtained: 83% of gammaM PFC were secreting either gamma1 (25%), gamma2 (55%), or gammaA (2%). We interpret these data as evidence for an antigen-driven class differentiation from gammaM to gammaA and from gammaM to gammaG in the majority of anti-SSS-III-secreting clones without T-cell help. When an allogeneic effect was provided by inoculation of parental BALB/c spleen cells together with antigen, the numbers of all classes of PFC were increased. Furthermore, the frequency of gammaM-gammaG (108%) or gammaM-gammaA (9%) double-class secretors was increased, and gammaM-independent gammaG and gammaA secretors were detected earlier, indicating an overall maturation-promoting effect. In addition, prolonged appearance of gammaA PFC was dependent on the allogeneic effect.     

Carrier function in anti-hapten antibody responses. IV. Experimental conditions for the induction of hapten-specific tolerance or for the stimulation of anti-hapten anamnestic responses by "nonimmunogenic" hapten-polypeptide conjugates

Administration of nonimmunogenic 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) conjugates of copolymers of D or L-glutamic acid and lysine (GL) induces hapten-specific tolerance in nonimmune and DNP-ovalbumin-primed strain 13 guinea pigs. This tolerant state is evidenced by depressed anti-DNP antibody synthesis in response to challenge with DNP-ovalbumin and by a diminished frequency of DNP-specific antigen-binding cells and of anti-DNP antibody-secreting cells. Such a nonimmunogenic compound (DNP-D-GL) will nevertheless elicit a DNP-specific anamnestic antibody response when administered at an appropriate time to DNP-ovalbumin-primed guinea pigs undergoing a graft-versus-host reaction. These experiments are discussed in terms of a two-cell theory of stimulation of antibody responses.     

Lymphocyte transformation induced by autologous cells. V. Generation of immunologic memory and specificity during the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction.

Lymphocyte proliferation in vitro may follow antigen recognition and serve as a correlate of cell-mediated immunity. Lymphocyte proliferation can also be simulated by nonimmune mechanisms as, for example, following culture with plant lectin, lipopolysaccharides, or staphylococcal protein A (1). The autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) refers to the proliferation of T lymphocytes cultured with autologous mon-T lymphocytes (2,3). The purpose of this study was to determine whether lymphocyte proliferation in the autologous MLR results from immune or nonimmune mechanisms. We have shown that the autologous MLR has two classical attributes of an immune phenomenon: memory and specificity.