The Journal of Immunology, Vol 132, Issue 3 1151-1157, Copyright © 1984 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

T cell regulation of B cell activation: MHC-restricted T augmenting cells enhance the B cell responses mediated by MHC-restricted cloned T helper cells

Y Asano and RJ Hodes

The present studies demonstrated that unprimed populations of Lyt-1+2- T cells are able to augment the responses generated by optimal numbers of antigen-specific and MHC-restricted cloned TH cells. The TA cells function early in the course of B cell responses. Responses mediated by (A X B)F1 (B + accessory) cells and parentA restricted cloned TH cells are augmented by TA cells from (A X B)F1 leads to parentA radiation bone marrow chimeras, but not by TA cells from (A X B)F1 leads to parentB chimeras. Thus, TA cell activation and function are MHC- restricted, but this restriction is not related to recognition of genotypically expressed B cell and/or accessory cell MHC products alone. Rather, TA cell function is intimately related to the MHC- restricted interaction between TH cells and responding (B + accessory) cells. Specifically, it was shown that TH cell interaction with B cells via an MHC-restricted and carrier-hapten-linked pathway is required for the function of TA cells expressing the same MHC restriction. Moreover, neither MHC homology nor TH cell recognition of MHC determinants on TA cells is required for TA cell function, and the activity of TA cells is not demonstrably influenced by non-MHC genes. It was further demonstrated that the function of cloned TH cells in B cell activation consists of at least two distinct components, one is radiosensitive and the other is radioresistant. TA cells are able either to replace the radiosensitive function of cloned TH cells directly or to bypass this requirement through an alternative pathway.