Immunoglobulin-bearing cells are a target for the antigen-induced inhibition of pokeweed mitogen-stimulated antibody production.
In vivo immunization with tetanus toxoid causes the appearance of B cells in the circulation that can produce IgG-antitetanus toxoid antibody in vitro after stimulation by T cells and pokeweed mitogen. Addition of soluble tetanus toxoid to these cultures, however, causes a profound inhibition of the in vitro IgG, but not IgM, antitetanus toxoid antibody production. Treatment of the lymphocytes with 10 microgram of tetanus toxoid for as little as 1 hr at 37 degrees C was sufficient to promote this antigen-specific inhibition. The antigen could be added, however, as late as 3 days after the culture initiation for the inhibition to be observed. Cell separation studies indicated that the inhibitory activity could be found in both the E-rosette positive and E-rosette negative populations. Further studies on the non-E-rosetting cells showed that: 1) inhibition induced in antigen-treated cells could not be transferred to untreated cells; 2) adherent cells were not responsible for the inhibition; 3) treatment of the surface Ig+ cells with antigen was sufficient for the inhibitory effects; and 4) in vivo generated lymphoblastoid cells that produce IgG-antitetanus toxoid antibody in vitro but are surface Ig- were not inhibited by soluble antigen. The results in this study thus indicate that cells in both the E-rosette positive and negative subsets can be responsible for the antigen-induced inhibition of in vitro antibody production observed in the majority of immunized donors.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D000941:Antigens; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013997:Time Factors
D000941:Antigens; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell