Resting B lymphocytes are activated, proliferate, and differentiate into antibody-secreting cells when cultured with long-term lines of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted, antigen-specific T cell in the presence of the antigen for which the T cells are specific. Under optimal conditions, essentially all B cells are activated and approximately 35% enter S phase in the absence of antigens for which the B cells are specific. Activation and proliferation are observed in cells from both normal mice and mice with the xid-determined immune defect. Highly purified B cells bearing Ia molecules for which the T cells are "cospecific" can present antigen to T cells with the resulting T cell stimulation leading to the activation and proliferation of the antigen-presenting B cells. However, B cells that do not bear Ia molecules for which the T cells are cospecific are also activated and proliferate if antigen and a source of antigen-presenting B cells or macrophage-rich cells of proper histocompatibility type are present. Thus, resting B cells, both normal and "xid", can be activated by non-MHC restricted factors without receptor cross-linkage. Experiments are presented that support the concept that local production and action of such unrestricted activating factors may be responsible for the MHC-restriction of T cell-B cell interaction seen in many circumstances.
Article|
March 01 1984
Polyclonal stimulation of resting B lymphocytes by antigen-specific T lymphocytes.
A L DeFranco
J D Ashwell
R H Schwartz
W E Paul
Online ISSN: 1540-9538
Print ISSN: 0022-1007
J Exp Med (1984) 159 (3): 861–880.
Citation
A L DeFranco, J D Ashwell, R H Schwartz, W E Paul; Polyclonal stimulation of resting B lymphocytes by antigen-specific T lymphocytes.. J Exp Med 1 March 1984; 159 (3): 861–880. doi: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.159.3.861
Download citation file: