title: Studies on the control of antibody synthesis. VII. Change in affinity of direct and indirect plaque-forming cells with time after immunization in the mouse: loss of high affinity plaques late after immunization.
abstract: The change in avidity of anti-hapten antibody with time after immunization was studied in mice at the level of the antibody-forming cell. A progressive increase in avidity was seen in both direct and indirect plaque-forming cells. Late (38 days) after immunization with a large dose of antigen there was a preferential loss of high avidity plaque-forming cells and the average avidity decreased. High avidity memory cells were still present since boosting resulted in the prompt appearance of very high avidity plaque-forming cells. There was a strong positive correlation between the avidity of the direct and the indirect plaque-forming cells present in the same spleen. A pattern of change in avidity and heterogeneity of avidity similar to that observed with intact animals was seen in lethally irradiated mice reconstituted with normal spleen and thymus cells.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D006241:Haptens; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D007114:Immunization; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D013154:Spleen / Q000637:transplantation; D013950:Thymus Gland; D013997:Time Factors; D005719:gamma-Globulins
chemical_list: D006241:Haptens; D005719:gamma-Globulins