SUPPRESSOR MECHANISM CONTROLLING LYMPHOCYTE RECRUITMENT

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 33  (3) , 369-372
Abstract
The duration of the inductive effect of an antigen (alum-precipitated trinitrophenyl-keyhole limpet hemocyanin) was measured, in the presence and absence of responding spleen cells, by transferring a test population of spleen cells to irradiated mice at various times relative to antigen injection. Using allotype-congenic mice, the response of a test (Iga) population was estimated in the presence of responding (Igb) cells. In the absence of responding cells the inductive effect fell to 10% of the peak value in 9-10 days, but in their presence it reached this level in < 5 days. Removal of T [thymus-derived] cells from the responding (Igb) population reduced their suppressive efficacy. B [bone marrow-derived] lymphocyte recruitment is apparently curtailed not by the elimination of antigen by an active suppressor mechanism involving suppressor T cells.