Heteroantisera prepared against B lymphocytes at different stages of differentiation. II. Functional analysis of cytotoxicity to different B-cell populations.

Functional studies on heteroantisera raised against mouse B cells in rabbits suggest a correlation between thymus-independent B cells and LPS-responsive B cells, and differences in either from thymus-dependent B cells. Furthermore it seems possible to follow B-lymphocyte differentiation from antigen-uncommitted precursors to antigen committed immature B cells to mature B lymphocytes by the loss and acquisition of surface markers distinguished by these heteroantisera. Additional evidence is provided that there are distinctive antigenic differences between antibody forming cells raised from the same B-cell source after in vivo or in vitro immunization.