Adoptive transfer of neonatal T lymphocytes rescues immunoglobulin production in mice with severe combined immune deficiency.
Mice with the autosomal recessive severe combined immune deficiency (scid) mutation lack mature lymphocytes because of defective joining of T cell receptor and immunoglobulin (Ig) gene segments. Penetrance of this mutation is incomplete since 10-25% of SCID mice produce some T or B lymphocytes. This "leaky" phenotype could be due to a reversion of the mutation in some mice or to a constant, low frequency of functional lymphocytes generated in all SCID mice with variable survival of such cells. We report here that all SCID mice can be stimulated to produce functional B cells by the transfer of normal neonatal, but not adult, T cells. T cell-induced rescue of C.B-17scid B cells results in high levels of Ig expressing the Ighb allotype of the SCID recipient. These results show that all SCID mice generate some functional B cells, the majority of which do not survive in the absence of a subset of T cells present in high frequency in the neonate.
Riggs
J E
JE
Division of Immunology, Medical Biology Institute, La Jolla, California 92037.
Stowers
R S
RS
Mosier
D E
DE
D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte / Q000502:physiology; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M