HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Prange, C. A. Articles by Bellone, C. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Prange, C. A. Articles by Bellone, C. J.

Antigen-Binding Lymphocytes in Guinea Pigs

I. B Cell Expansion to the Monovalent Antigen L-Tyrosine-P-Azophenyl Trimethylammonium (tyr(TMA)) in the Absence of Antibody Production¹

From the Department of Microbiology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63104 and the Department of Microbiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143

Abstract

The monofunctional antigen L-tyrosine-p-azophenyltrimethylammonium chloride, tyr(TMA), and the polyfunctional antigen, TMA-human -globulin (TMA-HGG), were used to investigate the antigen structural requirements necessary for clonal proliferation of B cells. This clonal expansion was characterized with respect to receptor immunoglobulin class and affinity maturation. Antigen-binding analysis revealed that inoculation of tyr(TMA), although only of m.w. 344, triggers clonal expansion of B lymphocytes 9-fold in the absence of any apparent antibody production. There does not appear to be any maturation with respect to antibody class since ;90% of the tyr(TMA)-specific B cells bear the µ receptor in the nonimmune and immune state. However, the average avidity of the B cells for this antigen increases with time after immunization. In contrast, immunization with TMA-HGG results in an 18-fold increase in B lymphocytes with significant amounts of anti-TMA antibody production. With time after immunization, both maturation of average avidity and class of Ig receptor (µ shift) occur. These findings indicate that the functionally T cell-specific antigen tyr(TMA) can trigger clonal B cell expansion and affinity maturation at the receptor level in the absence of detectable antibody production.

Footnotes

¹ This work was supported by United States Public Health Service GRSG 05388 to St. Louis University and United States Public Health Service Grant AI 13115.

² This work is in partial fulfillment for the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Microbiology, St. Louis University School of Medicine.