Characterization of Background Anti‐Trinitrophenyl Plaque‐Forming Cells Observed in Several Strains of Mice

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Abstract
Normal mice have a large number of background anti-trinitrophenyl (TNP) antibody-forming cells (AFC) in their spleens (about 40-50 anti-TNP PFC [plaque-forming cells]/106 cells). This was investigated in several mouse strains, i.e., C57BL/6, C3H/He, Balb/c, ddd, and ICR mice; all strains had a similar number of anti-TNP PFC. Developmental aspects of background anti-TNP PFC in the ontogenic process were investigated. The number of anti-TNP PFC increased logarithmically during the first few days of age, reached a peak on the 13th day, and attained a constant value within 30 days. Neonatal thymectomy did not decrease the number of background anti-TNP PFC, but such treatment decreased the anti-TNP PFC response to TNP-HRBC (horse red blood cells) immunization. Germ-free ICR mice had a number of background anti-TNP PFC similar to that of conventional ICR mice. Avidity of background anti-TNP PFC was compared among mice of several ages, and it was shown that there were no differences among them. The occurrence of these background anti-TNP PFC is apparently not elicited by the immune response, but by the natural maturation of precursors of AFC without antigenic stimulation.