HIGH FREQUENCY OF SPECIFIC ANTIGEN BINDING CELLS IN PROTEIN ANTIGEN STIMULATED LYMPH NODES

Abstract

ABSTRACT After primary immunization with hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL) in complete Freund's adjuvant, draining lymph node cells were rosetted with HEL coupled goat red blood cells and then fixed with glutaraldehyde. Using this method to assess antigen binding, the following was determined: (1) A high frequency (5–15%) of antigen binding cells can be generated 7–10 days after antigen injection. (2) Antigen binding is antigen specific and can be inhibited with soluble antigen. (3) All antigen binding cells appear to be surface immunoglobulin positive, but a substantial (>50%) fraction also bear T cell antigens. (4) After priming with two antigens, independent antigen binding cell populations are observed. Either the cells involved in antigen binding generate their own receptors or if these cells bind via cytophilic receptors, the receptors are acquired non randomly. (5) BlO mice which do not give an antibody response or T proliferative response to HEL also do not generate large numbers of antigen binding cells (<.2%). However, BlO mice primed with the closely related ring-necked pheasant lysozyme do generate large numbers of antigen binding cells that are crossreactive with HEL.