The inter-relationship of antigenic structure, thymus-independence and adjuvanticity. IV. A general model for B-cell induction

Abstract

Polymerized flagellin and E. coli lipopolysaccharide both express adjuvanticity in vivo and in vitro for responses to hapten conjugated to sheep erythrocytes, and hapten conjugated to soluble thymus-dependent antigens. In the case of erythrocyte-bound hapten, adjuvanticity is expressed in the absence of thymus-derived cells (T cells). However, in the case of responses to soluble thymus-dependent conjugates, carrier-specific T cells would appear to be necessary for adjuvanticity to be expressed. On the basis of these observations an hypothesis for the mechanism of B-cell induction and tolerance is proposed.