The sequence of appearance of antibodies in mouse omentum plasma cells

Abstract

The sequence of formation and excretion of anti-peroxidase antibodies in the course of the local secondary immune response was studied in cells of the mouse omentum. The majority of the antibody-containing cells were localized predominantly in multilayer, dense lymphatic areas. On the third day after the challenging dose of antigen the dominant cell types among the cells containing antibodies were the transitional cells and the immature plasma cells, and from the 4th day there was a steep rise in number of positive mature plasma cells, accounting for the peak of the fifth day. The nearly synchronised response of antibody-forming cells permitted the electronmicroscopic establishment of the intracellular sequence of anti-peroxidase antibodies. The following sequence of localizations was found in plasma cells: perinuclear cisterna—“bound” polysomes — cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum — Golgi tubules — Golgi derived vesicles — excretion by reverse pinocytosis. Another way of excretion could have been shedding of cytoplasmic fragments with distended antibody-containing cisternae.