Cellular differentiation of the immune system of mice. IV. Lack of class differentiation in thymic antigen-reactive cells.

Thymocytes and marrow cells of unprimed donor mice were mixed in vitro and transplanted into X-irradiated syngeneic mice. 18 hr later, sheep erythrocytes were injected to induce immune responses. Splenic plaque-forming cells (PFC) secreting IgM (direct PFC) or IgG (indirect PFC) hemolytic antibody were enumerated at the time of peak responses. By transplanting graded and limiting numbers of thymocytes with 4 x 10(7) marrow cells, inocula were found which contained one or a few thymic antigen-reactive cells (ARC) reaching the recipient spleens, interacting with marrow cells, and inducing PFC formation. The frequency values of ARC inferred from direct and indirect plaque assays were very similar, 1 in approximately 10(7) thymocytes. Furthermore, statistical analysis indicated that the formation of direct PFC was not independent of the formation of indirect PFC. This was interpreted to mean that ARC were not specialized themselves and did not determine the molecular class of antibody to be secreted after interaction with marrow cells. Spleens of thymus-marrow grafted mice containing one or two ARC and non-limiting numbers of marrow precursors of PFC (P-PFC), had direct and indirect PFC clustered in several focal areas. Assuming that each focal area represented the progeny of one P-PFC that had interacted with ARC, these results confirmed the statistical evidence for lack of class differentiation in thymic ARC, and also indicated that each ARC or its progeny cells interacted with more than one P-PFC of either class.