MATURATION OF B LYMPHOCYTES IN THE RAT

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Abstract
The migration pattern, tissue distribution, and turnover rate of unprimed and primed B lymphocytes involved in the adoptive anti-DNP response was studied. The adoptive primary response restored by unprimed spleen or thoracic duct cells passaged through an intermediate host (intravenous injection and subsequent collection in the thoracic duct lymph) was markedly diminished as compared with that restored by unpassaged cells. On the other hand, the adoptive response restored by passaged spleen or thoracic duct cells from DNP-primed donors was greater than or the same as that restored with unpassaged cells, respectively. This suggests that unprimed B cells change from nonrecirculating to recirculating lymphocytes after exposure to antigen.