Effect of anti-Lyb3 antiserum on poly (L-glutamic acid, L-lysine)-induced B cell tolerance.

The effect of anti-Lyb3 antiserum on antigen-specific B cell tolerance was investigated. The intraperitoneal injection of the nonimmunogenic copolymer L-glutamic acid60, L-lysine (GL) specifically reduces the ability of murine B cells to form GL-specific plaque-forming cell responses following challenge with the immunogenic conjugate of GL coupled to fowl gamma-globulin. It was found that this tolerance could be reversed or blocked by the intravenous injection of microliter quantities of anti-Lyb3 antiserum. However, this dose of antiserum neither reversed T cell tolerance induced with protein-coupled syngeneic erythrocytes nor induced tolerized B cells to secrete antibody. The results suggest that B lymphocytes can be rescued from GL-induced tolerance soon after induction and that Lyb3 determinants may play a functional role in the activation of antigen-specific B lymphocytes.