Ontogenic development of autoantibody repertoires in spleen and peritoneal cavity of normal mice: examples of T cell-dependent and -independent reactivities (original) (raw)

1989, European Journal of Immunology

The ontogenic development of B cell clonal precursors (BCP) reactive to bromelaintreated, syngeneic erythrocytes (BrMRC) and to single-stranded DNA has been studied by limiting dilution of both spleen and peritoneal cells. It was found that the frequency of anti-BrMRC BCP in the spleen is very low up to 4 weeks of age and slowly increases thereafter, to reach adult levels by 6-10 weeks. In the peritoneal cavity, no such BCP can be found before 2 weeks, but they occur at a very high frequency already by 3 weeks of age. Injection of adult, normal syngeneic T cells at birth has no apparent effect on the representation of anti-BrMRC BCP in the peritoneal cavity, but brings these to adult levels or even higher in the spleen already at 3 weeks of age. Accordingly, adult athymic (nude) mice contain normal frequencies of BrMRC-specific BCP in the peritoneal cavity but are devoid of such clones in the spleen. In contrast, the frequency of anti-DNA BCP is very high throughout postnatal development in both spleen and peritoneal cavity, of normal and athymic mice, in both resting and naturally activated splenic B cell compartments, and it is independent of T cell transfers into nude animals. These results indicate the role of T cells in the establishment of some clonal specificities in the adult, splenic autoreactive B cell repertoire. * This work has been supported by INSERM, DRET and the Krupp Foundation. Correspondence: FranGois Huetz, Unit6 d'Immunobiologie, Institut Pasteur, 25-28, rue du Docteur Row, F-75724 Pans Ckdex 15, France Abbreviations: BCP: B cell clonal precursor BrMRC: Bromelaintreated mouse red cells ELISA: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay LDA: Limiting dilution assay LPS: Lipopolysaccharide ssDNA: Single-stranded DNA PC: Peritoneal cavity SN: Supernatant(s)