Functionally distinct helper T cells enriched under different culture conditions cooperate with different B cells.
Helper T cells selected from KLH-primed lymph node cells under different in vitro conditions were analyzed for the ability to cooperate in secondary hapten-specific antibody responses. It is shown that carrier-specific, MHC-restricted helper T cells selected in low-density cultures cooperate with equal efficiency in either PC-specific or DNP-specific responses. In the presence of both PC-specific and DNP-specific B precursors, however, such T cells are limited to participate in only one helper event in vitro. In contrast, the predominant helper T cell in a second population maintained in high-density lymph node cultures cooperates, presumably through a soluble factor, with multiple B precursors. These properties correspond to those previously described for specific and nonspecific effector functions. The experiments reported here further demonstrate that different B cells respond in vitro to carrier-specific and nonspecific helper signals.
D000818:Animals; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology; D006241:Haptens / Q000276:immunology; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000276:immunology; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*
D004136:Dinitrobenzenes; D006241:Haptens; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; D006433:Hemocyanins