title: The class of surface immunoglobulin on virgin and memory B lymphocytes.
abstract: The class of surface immunoglobulin receptors for antigen on B cell precursors of different classes of antibody-forming cells was determined by utilizing a technique of class-specific antigen suicide. Spleen cells are first treated with a class-specific antiserum under conditions that result in the stripping of that class from the cell surface. The cells are then permitted to bind a highly radioactive trinitrophenyl (TNP)-conjugated protein, which leads to lethal irradiation of all TNP-specific B cells except those whose TNP receptors had been removed by the class-specific stripping of surface immunoglobulin. In this way, the class of antibody-forming cells resulting from TNP stimulation of B cells with different classes of surface immunoglobulin can be examined. It was found that the virgin B cell precursors of IgM-producing cells are two types: cells bearing IgM receptors only and those bearing both IgM and IgD receptors. All virgin B cells that gave rise to IgG1 antibody-forming cells had both IgM and IgD on their surfaces, demonstrating that an antigen-dependent switch from IgM and IgD to IgG1 production is a common feature of B cell maturation. In contrast, memory B cell precursors of IgG1 antibody-forming cells had predominantly IgG1 as their surface antigen receptor. The implications of these findings on current models of B cell maturation are analyzed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D000941:Antigens; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000276:immunology; D007072:Immunoglobulin D; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007138:Immunoglobulin delta-Chains; D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology; D005719:gamma-Globulins
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000941:Antigens; D007072:Immunoglobulin D; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007138:Immunoglobulin delta-Chains; D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes; D005719:gamma-Globulins; D006433:Hemocyanins