B cell dependence of the congeneic barrier towards idiotype‐carrying cells

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Abstract
Immune cells transferred into nonirradiated animals of the same genotype face a barrier which severely affects their capacity to function in the host. We studied this phenomenon in allotype‐congeneic animals. When anti‐dextran immune cells of the responder strain (BALB/c‐Igha) are injected into an allotype‐congeneic host (BALB‐Ighb) the grafted cells are suppressed to give an idiotype‐positive response. This congeneic barrier of thymus‐independent immune cells is lost in mice carrying an X‐linked B cell defect: when idiotype‐positive immune cells from responder (CBA/N × BALB/C)F1 mice are transplanted into congeneic nonresponder animals (CBA/N × BALB‐Ighb)F1, female recipients are nonpermissive towards grafted cells whereas B cell‐defective male littermates allow donor cells to develop an idiotype‐positive anti‐dextran response. These results show that the congeneic barrier towards dextran‐immune cells is related to the maturation stage of B cells in the recipient. Since B cell‐defective (CBA/N × BALB/C)F1 animals do not display an anti‐idiotypic response in contrast to intact littermates and because CB16‐KN mice are nonpermissive towards CB8‐K lymphocytes, differing in VH genes only, we suggest that the “isogeneic barrier” depends on a mechanism recognizing VH structures.