THE GENERATION OF MEMORY CELLS .4. IMMUNIZATION WITH ANTIGEN-ANTIBODY COMPLEXES ACCELERATES THE DEVELOPMENT OF B-MEMORY CELLS, THE FORMATION OF GERMINAL-CENTERS AND THE MATURATION OF ANTIBODY-AFFINITY IN THE SECONDARY RESPONSE

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (2) , 371-378
Abstract
Hapten (DNP [dinitrophenyl])-specific B-memory cells were induced by priming mice with soluble or alum precipitated DNP-hemocyanin (KLH [keyhole limpet hemocyanin]) plus Bordetella pertussis or DNP-KLH-anti-DNP antibody complexes at equivalence. Cells from mice given complexes gave a substantial adoptive IgG response 5 days after priming; those from mice given antigen with conventional adjuvant did not give a comparable response until day 14. Soluble antigen induced poor memory, even 14 days after primary immunization. The emergence of transferrable B-memory cells correlated closely with germinal center appearance in spleen lymphoid follicles. The relative affinity of the adoptive secondary IgG response induced by priming with complexes was already maximal on day 6. The memory cell response from mice given antigen on alum increased in affinity between 6-23 days after priming. Trapping of antigen-antibody complexes in lymphoid follicles evidently induces germinal center formation which in turn gives rise to functional B-memory cells. Apparently, such retained complexes play a role in selective triggering of high-affinity precursor cells.