Helper activity of chicken Vβ1 + and Vβ2 + αβ T cells for in vitro lgA antibody synthesis

Abstract

Chickens have only two T cell receptor variable β gene families: Vβ1 and Vβ2 (1). In our previous work we found that IgA production was almost completely suppressed in chickens depleted of Vβ1 + αβ T cells by treatment with a TCR Vβ1-specific monoclonal antibody (2), while IgM and IgG production was not affected. Our present results indicate that, in vitro, both Vβ1 + and Vβ2 + chicken cecal tonsil T cells provide help for the differentiation of cecal tonsil IgA B cells, suggesting that the failure of Vβ1 + T cell-depleted chickens to produce lgA is not caused by the inability of Vβ2 + T cells to provide help for IgA production by B cells, but rather by the scarcity of these T cells in mucosal tissues (3), where most IgA responses are induced (4).