DIFFERENCES IN CALCIUM REQUIREMENTS FOR B-CELL TOLERANCE AND IMMUNITY

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 39  (1) , 61-65
Abstract
Incubation of unprimed [mouse] spleen B [bone marrow-derived] cells with high concentrations of hapten-conjugates resulted in the induction of specific unresponsiveness or tolerance to a subsequent encounter with the hapten on a potentially immunogenic carrier. This process of tolerance induction could occur in the absence of extracellular Ca. B cell activation to proliferation and subsequent antibody secretion is known to be Ca dependent. This means that decisions which determine immunity and tolerance in B cells are mediated through totally distinct signaling pathways, or that if tolerance and immunity depend on same common signaling events, then the commitment of B cells to switch on or off must be determined at a very early stage.