Antibody production in mice. I. The analysis of immunological memory

Abstract

The development of immunological memory was analysed by the use of `in vivo culture technique'. The lymphoid cells from primed mice were transferred into heavily irradiated recipients and the size of memory cell population in primed donor mice was estimated quantitatively by the magnitude of secondary responsiveness.

The production of memory cells was detected about 1 week after the primary administration of antigen, and increased gradually up to approximately 6 weeks. The development of the memory cells carrying information for the synthesis of γG₁-antibodies (γG₁-memory cells) was initiated at the early stage of priming and followed by that of the γG₂-memory cells. Although the ratio of population of γG₂- to γG₁-memory cells changed with lapse of time in primed mice, the original ratio of each population in donor, at any stage after priming, was apparently maintained when cultured in recipients for at least 4 weeks. This indicates that the conversion from γG₁- to γG₂-memory cells does not occur.

From these results, it was suggested that the γG₁- and γG₂-memory cells develop independently in primed mice under the continuous stimulation of primarily administered antigen.