A single antigen-specific B cell can conjugate to either a type 1 or a type 2 helper T cell.
Keyhole-limpet-hemocyanin-specific I-Ad-restricted T helper cells type 1 (TH1 cells) and type 2 (TH2 cells) were studied for their ability to physically conjugate to trinitrophenyl-specific antigen-binding B cells (TNP-ABCs). The same TNP-ABCs (which had already processed TNP-keyhole limpet hemocyanin) formed conjugates with one or the other T helper (TH) cell type, and conjugation was antigen-specific and major histocompatibility complex-restricted. The conjugation of a fixed number of one type of TH cell to the TNP-ABCs was inhibited by co-incubation with increasing numbers of cells of the other TH cell type. Thus, the vast majority of TNP-ABCs can conjugate to either type of TH cell. A similar pattern of inhibition of the conjugation of one TH cell type to the TNP-ABCs was seen when cells were co-incubated with increasing numbers of cells from an alloreactive T-cell clone. In all cases, conjugates contained only one T cell bound to one B cell, suggesting that interaction of an antigen-presenting B cell with one TH cell prevents the simultaneous binding of another TH cell.
Sanders
V M
VM
Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235.
Fernandez-Botran
R
R
Coffman
R L
RL
Mosmann
T R
TR
Vitetta
E S
ES
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006825:Hybridomas; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology
D000939:Epitopes; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes