Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1982 Mar 1;155(3):924–936. doi: 10.1084/jem.155.3.924

Role of the thymus in directing the development of a subset of B lymphocytes

PMCID: PMC2186612  PMID: 6801183

Abstract

In an effort to evaluate the role of the thymus in influencing the development of Lyb-5- B lymphocytes, mice expressing both the xid and nu gene defects were studied. Mice expressing either of these defects respond to both trinitrophenylated Brucellus abortus and lipopolysaccharide; whereas mice with the combined defect show markedly suppressed responses. The other abnormalities included: (a) greater than 80 percent diminution of serum Ig levels; (b) significant increase in the number of sIgM+ sIgD- B lymphocytes; (c) reduced expression of IgD on sIgD+ cells; and (d) a strikingly abnormal histology of their lymphoid tissue. Because nu/nu mice that do not express the xid defect appear relatively normal, it would suggest that the development of Lyb- 5- B lymphocytes require a thymic influence for normal maturation, whereas, Lyb-5+ B lymphocytes are relatively independent of such influences.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.2 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ahmed A., Scher I., Sharrow S. O., Smith A. H., Paul W. E., Sachs D. H., Sell K. W. B-lymphocyte heterogeneity: development and characterization of an alloantiserum which distinguishes B-lymphocyte differentiation alloantigens. J Exp Med. 1977 Jan 1;145(1):101–110. doi: 10.1084/jem.145.1.101. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Amsbaugh D. F., Hansen C. T., Prescott B., Stashak P. W., Asofsky R., Baker P. J. Genetic control of the antibody response to type 3 pneumococcal polysaccharide in mice. II. Relationship between IgM immunoglobulin levels and the ability to give an IgM antibody response. J Exp Med. 1974 Jun 1;139(6):1499–1512. doi: 10.1084/jem.139.6.1499. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Amsbaugh D. F., Hansen C. T., Prescott B., Stashak P. W., Barthold D. R., Baker P. J. Genetic control of the antibody response to type 3 pneumococcal polysaccharide in mice. I. Evidence that an X-linked gene plays a decisive role in determining responsiveness. J Exp Med. 1972 Oct 1;136(4):931–949. doi: 10.1084/jem.136.4.931. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Azar H. A., Hansen C. T., Costa J. N:NIH(S)-nu/nu mice with combined immunodeficiency: a new model for human tumor heterotransplantation. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1980 Aug;65(2):421–430. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Boswell H. S., Ahmed A., Scher I., Singer A. Role of accessory cells in B cell activation. II. The interaction of B cells with accessory cells results in the exclusive activation of an Lyb5+ B cell subpopulation. J Immunol. 1980 Sep;125(3):1340–1348. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Finkelman F. D., Smith A. H., Scher I., Paul W. E. Abnormal ratio of membrane immunoglobulin classes in mice with an X-linked B-lymphocyte defect. J Exp Med. 1975 Nov 1;142(5):1316–1321. doi: 10.1084/jem.142.5.1316. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gillis S., Union N. A., Baker P. E., Smith K. A. The in vitro generation and sustained culture of nude mouse cytolytic T-lymphocytes. J Exp Med. 1979 Jun 1;149(6):1460–1476. doi: 10.1084/jem.149.6.1460. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Glimcher L., Shen F. W., Cantor H. Identification of a cell-surface antigen selectively expressed on the natural killer cell. J Exp Med. 1977 Jan 1;145(1):1–9. doi: 10.1084/jem.145.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ihle J. N., Pepersack L., Rebar L. Regulation of T cell differentiation: in vitro induction of 20 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in splenic lymphocytes from athymic mice by a unique lymphokine. J Immunol. 1981 Jun;126(6):2184–2189. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kessler S. W. Cell membrane antigen isolation with the staphylococcal protein A-antibody adsorbent. J Immunol. 1976 Nov;117(5 Pt 1):1482–1490. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Laemmli U. K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680–685. doi: 10.1038/227680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Laskey R. A., Mills A. D. Quantitative film detection of 3H and 14C in polyacrylamide gels by fluorography. Eur J Biochem. 1975 Aug 15;56(2):335–341. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1975.tb02238.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Loken M. R., Herzenber L. A. Analysis of cell populations with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1975 Jun 30;254:163–171. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb29166.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. MacDonald H. R., Lees R. K., Sordat B., Zaech P., Maryanski J. L., Bron C. Age-associated increase in expression of the T cell surface markers Thy-1, Lyt-1, and Lyt-2 in congenitally athymic (nu/nu) mice: analysis by flow microfluorometry. J Immunol. 1981 Mar;126(3):865–870. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Mishell R. I., Dutton R. W. Immunization of dissociated spleen cell cultures from normal mice. J Exp Med. 1967 Sep 1;126(3):423–442. doi: 10.1084/jem.126.3.423. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Mond J. J., Kessler S., Finkelman F. D., Paul W. E., Scher I. Heterogeneity of Ia expression on normal B cells, neonatal B cells, and on cells from B cell-defective CBA/N mice. J Immunol. 1980 Apr;124(4):1675–1682. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mond J. J., Mongini P. K., Sieckmann D., Paul W. E. Role of T lymphocytes in the response to TNP-AECM-Ficoll. J Immunol. 1980 Sep;125(3):1066–1070. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Mond J. J., Scher I., Mosier D. E., Baese M., Paul W. E. T-independent responses in B cell-defective CBA/N mice to Brucella abortus and to trinitrophenyl (TNP) conjugates of Brucella abortus. Eur J Immunol. 1978 Jul;8(7):459–463. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830080703. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Mond J. J., Stein K. E., Subbarao B., Paul W. E. Analysis of B cell activation requirements with TNP-conjugated polyacrylamide beads. J Immunol. 1979 Jul;123(1):239–245. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Mosier D. E., Scher I., Paul W. E. In vitro responses of CBA/N mice: spleen cells of mice with an X-linked defect that precludes immune responses to several thymus-independent antigens can respond to TNP-lipopolysaccharide. J Immunol. 1976 Oct;117(4):1363–1369. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Mosier D. E., Zitron I. M., Mond J. J., Ahmed A., Scher I., Paul W. E. Surface immunoglobulin D as a functional receptor for a subclass of B lymphocytes. Immunol Rev. 1977;37:89–104. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1977.tb00246.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Oi V. T., Jones P. P., Goding J. W., Herzenberg L. A., Herzenberg L. A. Properties of monoclonal antibodies to mouse Ig allotypes, H-2, and Ia antigens. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1978;81:115–120. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-67448-8_18. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Perlmutter R. M., Nahm M., Stein K. E., Slack J., Zitron I., Paul W. E., Davie J. M. Immunoglobulin subclass-specific immunodeficiency in mice with an X-linked B-lymphocyte defect. J Exp Med. 1979 Apr 1;149(4):993–998. doi: 10.1084/jem.149.4.993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Rittenberg M. B., Pratt K. L. Antitrinitrophenyl (TNP) plaque assay. Primary response of Balb/c mice to soluble and particulate immunogen. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1969 Nov;132(2):575–581. doi: 10.3181/00379727-132-34264. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Scher I., Berning A. K., Kessler S., Finkelman F. D. Development of B lymphocytes in the mouse; studies of the frequency and distribution of surface IgM and IgD in normal and immune-defective CBA/N F1 mice. J Immunol. 1980 Oct;125(4):1686–1693. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Scher I., Steinberg A. D., Berning A. K., Paul W. E. X-linked B-lymphocyte immune defect in CBA/N mice. II. Studies of the mechanisms underlying the immune defect. J Exp Med. 1975 Sep 1;142(3):637–650. doi: 10.1084/jem.142.3.637. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Sharon R., McMaster P. R., Kask A. M., Owens J. D., Paul W. E. DNP-Lys-ficoll: a T-independent antigen which elicits both IgM and IgG anti-DNP antibody-secreting cells. J Immunol. 1975 May;114(5):1585–1589. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Subbarao B., Ahmed A., Paul W. E., Scher I., Lieberman R., Mosier D. E. Lyb-7, a new B cell alloantigen controlled by genes linked to the IgCH locus. J Immunol. 1979 Jun;122(6):2279–2285. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Subbarao B., Mosier D. E., Ahmed A., Mond J. J., Scher I., Paul W. E. Role of a nonimmunoglobulin cell surface determinant in the activation of B lymphocytes by thymus-independent antigens. J Exp Med. 1979 Feb 1;149(2):495–506. doi: 10.1084/jem.149.2.495. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Vitetta E. S., Melcher U., McWilliams M., Lamm M. E., Phillips-Quagliata J. M., Uhr J. W. Cell surface immunoglobulin. XI. The appearance of an IgD-like molecule on murine lymphoid cells during ontogeny. J Exp Med. 1975 Jan 1;141(1):206–215. doi: 10.1084/jem.141.1.206. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES