title: Stimulation of the same B-cell population by thymus-independent dextran and by thymus-dependent oligosaccharide-carrier.
abstract: The immune response of adult BALB/c mice against the bacterial antigen dextran B1355S (Dex) is well characterized as thymus independent (TI type 2) and Igha linked. The antisera consist of mainly IgM/lambda antibodies directed against the alpha(1-->3) glucosidic linkage. This study describes the immune response against the alpha(1-->3) linkage in the thymus dependent form (TD), i.e. tetra- or heptasaccharides (N4 or N7) of glucose as hapten coupled to chicken serum albumin (CSA) as carrier. Whereas athymic BALB/c-nu/nu mice did not respond to the TD antigens N4-CSA and N7-CSA, euthymic BALB/c showed high anti-Dex antibody titres of IgM and, after 2 degrees immunization, a class switch to IgG (mainly IgG1) isotypes with lambda light chains. The hapten N4 inhibited Dex-binding of M104E or of antisera from Dex or N4-CSA or N7-CSA immunized mice at 1.7-10 x 10(-4)M. The idiotype composition of these antibodies resembled those after Dex immunization. We conclude that the same Dex-specific precursor B cells have been stimulated by either form of antigen. The ontogenic development of a Dex-specific response could not be accelerated by the aid of T cells, even of adult origin. It seems, therefore, that the maturation of antigen specific B cells is the limiting step in ontogeny.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Willers
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weiler
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kolb
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000955:Antigens, T-Independent / Q000276:immunology*; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D003911:Dextrans / Q000276:immunology*; D006241:Haptens; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000955:Antigens, T-Independent; D003911:Dextrans; D006241:Haptens; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D009844:Oligosaccharides