Thymus-independent anti-DNP antibody responses to DNP-casein and DNP-gelatin.
Although studies on the molecular nature of thymus-independent antigens suggested that the polymeric structure with repeated antigenic determinants and slow metabolism are responsible for thymus-independence, we found that anti-DNP antibody responses to DNP-casein and DNP-gelatin were thymus-independent as well as macrophage-independent. These antibody responses were not affected by in vivo treatment with carrageenan or anti-thymocyte serum. In addition, responses of athymic nude mice to both antigens did not show any significant differences when compared with heterologous nu/+ mice. The findings were confirmed by in vitro experiments; non-adherent spleen cells or T cell-depleted spleen cells responded well to both antigens to the same extent as normal spleen cells. Since both casein and gelatin are polyclonal B cell activators and are not presumed to be high polymer or slow-metabolizing substances, we suggest that thymus-independence in many kinds of antibody response should be reconsidered.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002351:Carrageenan / Q000494:pharmacology; D002364:Caseins / Q000276:immunology*; D002645:Chickens; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology*; D005780:Gelatin / Q000276:immunology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009578:Nitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology*; D012756:Sheep; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology*
D002364:Caseins; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes; D009578:Nitrobenzenes; D002351:Carrageenan; D005780:Gelatin