title: Abrogation and reconstitution of nonresponsiveness: a correlation with high network connectivity.
abstract: A monoclonal antibody (Fd-B2) to ferredoxin, which bears an idiotype scarcely expressed in any of a wide variety of mouse strains, is able to markedly enhance the response to ferredoxin of both high-responder and intermediate-responder strains. A rabbit anti-idiotype serum to Fd-B2 also specifically enhances the response to ferredoxin in such mice. Most remarkably, the treatment of nonresponder T cells by either the idiotype (Fd-B2) plus complement or anti-idiotype antiserum plus complement causes them to be responsive in adoptive transfer experiments. The two responding populations (idiotype-treated and anti-idiotype-treated) can then be combined to reconstitute the nonresponsive state. When the nonresponders are treated with either Fd-B2 idiotype plus complement or anti-idiotype plus complement and subsequently respond, the idiotype of the anti-ferredoxin antibody produced does not bear the Fd-B2 idiotype. We interpret the results as being consistent with a model in which the unresponsive state for ferredoxin is a state of high network connectivity of the ferredoxin-specific T cells.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singhai
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005288:Ferredoxins / Q000276:immunology*; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000276:immunology*; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D051379:Mice; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D005288:Ferredoxins; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes