T‐independent responses in B cell‐defective CBA/N mice to Brucella abortus and to trinitrophenyl (TNP) conjugates of Brucella abortus

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Abstract
CBA/N mice have an X‐linked immune defect in B lymphocyte function which leads to their inability to respond to several thymus‐independent antigens. We report here that these mice and immunologically defective F1 male (CBA/N × DBA/2N) mice can respond to Brucella abortus and to 2,4,6‐trinitrophenyl derivatives of Brucella abortus (TNP‐BA). These responses can be obtained in vivo and in vitro and are thymus‐independent by the criteria that (a) they can be transferred to irradiated recipients by bone marrow cells and anti‐Thy‐1.2 and complement‐treated spleen cells; (b) that nu/nu BALB/c spleen cells respond to TNP‐BA in vitro; and (c) that anti‐Thy‐1.2 and complement‐treated (CBA/N × DBA/2N)F1 male spleen cells respond to TNP‐BA in vitro. B. abortus and TNP‐BA are poor polyclonal B cell activators (PBA) and poor B cell mitogens, unlike lipopolysaccharide which is both a powerful PBA and B cell mitogen. These results therefore indicate that mice with the CBA/N B cell defect can respond to some thymus‐independent antigens, namely TNP‐BA, and as shown previously, TNP‐LPS, although not to other thymus‐independent antigens. This, in turn, suggests that thymus‐independent antigens may be subdivided on the basis of their ability or inability to stimulate responses by CBA/N B lymphocytes.