The Journal of Immunology, Vol 141, Issue 10 3335-3341, Copyright © 1988 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

B cells expressing Ig transgenes respond to a T-dependent antigen only in the presence of Ia-compatible T cells

RL O'Brien, P Marrack, U Storb and JW Kappler
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Denver, CO 80206.

We sought a quicker and easier method for the isolation of B cells enriched for a given Ag specificity. Here, we report our results using transgenic mice bearing mu- and kappa-transgenes that encode an IgR against the hapten phosphorylcholine. Splenic B cells from such mice had a high percentage of phosphorylcholine-binding cells and differentiated in vitro in response to T cell hybridomas in an Ag- specific, Ia-restricted manner. Supernatants from such in vitro cultures could not transfer helper activity, nor could the T cell be replaced in other ways tried when using a classical T-dependent Ag. These results support the model of a cognate interaction between T and B cell, and we present evidence that the interaction may consist of two or more steps.