Independent precursors for thymus dependent and thymus independent IgG memory B cells.

Spleen cells from mice primed with the thymus dependent antigen trinitrophenyl keyhole limpet hemocyanin several months earlier can be cultured in vitro to give vigorous IgG antihapten PFC responses to thymus dependent and thymus independent forms of the hapten. The IgG memory precursors responding to these two forms of the hapten constitute functionally distinct subpopulations which we have designated as B1gamma and B2gamma to represent the precursor cells responding to the thymus independent and thymus dependent antigens respectively. Four types of evidence for these subpopulations are presented 1) the responses to the two types of antigen are additive when both forms are added to the same culture; 2) the precursor frequency for the thymus dependent and thymus independent populations is different although expansion over primary IgM precursor frequencies was not detectable; 3) the avidities of the PFC elicited by each antigen are distinct; the thymus independnet antigens elicit lower avidity PFC; 4) selective killing of one population can be accomplished by BUdR and light treatment without affecting the other population.