Evaluation of the possible role of B cell receptors in the tendency of B cells to migrate into follicles in mice and chickens.

Chicken spleen and bursa cells were examined for the percentage of Fc receptor-bearing cells. Rosette formation was done with chicken 7S antibody-sensitized sheep erythrocytes and was inhibited by heat-aggregated chicken Ig. In the spleen, the percentage was found to increase with age to approximately 26% at 7 to 12 weeks. In contrast, only 3 to 5% of bursa cellss at this age demonstrated Fc receptors. Sleens from bursectomized chickens had 7--10% Fc receptor-bearing cells. In an attempt to determine a possible role of the C3 receptor on migration patterns, the effect of cobra venom factor (CVF) on the localization of transferred lymphoid cells was examined. Pretreatment of recipients with enough CVF to lower mean C3 levels to 11% of controls failed to affect follicular B cell localization in mice at either 24 or 48 h after transfer. Localization of thymus or bursa cells in chickens was similarly unaffected by CVF pretreatment. The possible roles of Fc and C3 receptors on migration of B lymphocytes into follicles and germinal centers were discussed.