Irreversible Immunological Tolerance to Thymus-independent Antigens is Restricted to the Clone of B Cells having both Ig and PBA Receptors for the Tolerogen

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Abstract
Mice were tolerized to the a1-6 epitope of native dextran. When their spleen cells were removed and activated by [Escherichia coli] LPS [lipopolysaccharide], they did not synthesize antibodies against the tolerogen. When cells from tolerant mice were treated with dextranase or left untreated in culture for 24 h they were activated by LPS to the synthesis of antibodies against the tolerogen. When 24 h tolerized lymphocytes were treated with dextranase and transferred with immunogenic doses of dextran to irradiated mice, they failed to produce antibodies against the tolerogen. Cells incubated with dextran for 2 h and thereafter dextranase treated were readily immunized by dextran in the same system. Only the B [bone marrow-derived] cell clones having Ig [immunoglobulin] receptors and PBA [polyclonal B cell activator] receptors for the tolerogen become irreversibly tolerized; B cells having Ig receptors for a different PBA are not tolerized, but remain in a resting state, even though their Ig receptors have bound the tolerogen.