The humoral response of mouse spleen cells to two types of sheep erythrocytes. II. Evidence for gene expression in the B lymphocyte

Abstract

There is multigene control of the response of mouse spleen cells to two types of sheep erytrocytes (H and L). Discriminator strains of mice make a much higher response to extra antigens found only on H SRBC than to the shared antigens found on both types of erythrocyte. Non-discriminator strains respond only to the shared antigens, making a responses as great as the discriminator response to the extra antigens. The cell type in which this genetic control is expressed was investigated by a number of methods for studying the role of the macrophage, T cell, and B cell in the production of anti-SRBC response. The results provide no evidence that the gene(s) operate at the macrophage, T cell, or any other accessory cell level. The data from B cell-limiting dilution experiments are compatible with genetic expression at the B cell level.