Genetic control of effector cell characteristics: Con A-induced suppressor cells carry H-2 I region encoded determinants

Abstract

Activation of splenic lymphocytes with Con A leads to the formation of suppressor cells capable of interfering with the activity of several polyclonal B-cell-activating substances. Thus, these suppressor cells, or their products, most probably act directly on B cells. Suppressor cells could be recovered from the effluent cell population of nylon wool columns, and they were absent from the spleens of athymic nude mice. Furthermore, they were absent from the thymus of normal as well as cortison-treated mice. Cortisone treatment did not abolish the formation of Con A-induced suppressor cells in the spleen. Treatment of activated suppressor cells with antisera specific for distinct products of the H-2 I region revealed that they carried I-J cell surface antigens. We conclude that the suppressor cells in our test system, which unlike other Con A-induced suppressor cell populations have a direct effect on B cells, had antigenic characteristics similar to those previously described for I-J carrying suppressor cells.