T cell priming in vivo: a major role for B cells in presenting antigen to T cells in lymph nodes.

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Previous studies have shown that lymph node (LN) T cells from mice given repeated injections of anti-mu antisera from birth (mu sm) fail to mount secondary T proliferative responses to antigen in vitro after s.c. priming in vivo. This finding raised the possibility that priming of T cells in LN depends on the presence of B cells, Ig+ B lymphocytes being absent in mu sm. In support of this idea, the present paper shows that the priming defect in LN of mu sm can be largely overcome by injecting B cell populations s.c. 1 day before s.c. priming with antigen. Restoration of LN priming was observed with s.c. injection of highly purified populations of small B cells but not with heat-killed or lightly irradiated B cells. Homing studies indicated that approximately 10% of s.c.-injected B cells reached the draining LN. In other studies, irradiated mice injected i.v. with purified T cells manifested poor priming in LN after s.c. injection of antigen. It was reasoned that the LN priming defect in this situation reflected the lack of B cells in irradiated mice, B cells being highly radiosensitive. In support of this notion, it was found that s.c. injection of B cells into irradiated recipients of T cells led to high priming of T cells in LN after s.c. injection of antigen. Although T cells exposed to antigen in B-depleted LN of mu sm and irradiated mice gave negligible T proliferative responses in vitro, low but significant levels of primed T helper function were detected in a sensitive T helper assay in vivo. In light of this finding, our working hypothesis is that the initial induction of T cells to antigen in LN is controlled by resident dendritic cells (or other non-B antigen-presenting cells), the main role of B cells being to control the clonal expansion of activated T cells.