Hapten-specific murine colony-forming B cells. II. Delineation of a tolerogen-sensitive subpopulation of colony-forming B cells.

B cell subpopulations were studied by using B cell cloning procedures and an in vitro tolerance induction model. Fluorescein- (FL) specific B cells from normal spleens were isolated by using FL gelatin plates and were then cultured in semisolid agar in the presence or absence of tolerogen. Hapten-specific cells grew in soft agar to form discrete colonies. Colony growth is dependent on "mitogens" present in agar, sheep red blood cells (SRBC), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). For example, SRBC plus LPS potentiate the growth of an increased number of colony-forming B cells (CFU-B) compared to either additive alone. These CFU-B could be triggered by a specific antigen to yield plaque-forming cells (PFC). With tolerogen (FL-sheep gamma-globulin) present in the agar, the number of FL-specific CFU-B was reduced by 25 to 50%. The ability of the remaining colonies to form PFC upon antigenic stimulation was also reduced. This reduction in CFU-B numbers, however, was observed only when the agar contained both SRBC and LPS as mitogenic potentiators of growth; no effect of tolerogen on CFU-B numbers was seen when cells were grown with either additive alone. Interestingly, the effect of tolerogen on CFU-B numbers was abrogated when peritoneal macrophages, in addition to SRBC plus LPS, were present during cloning. It is postulated that unique subpopulations of B cells form colonies under varied cloning conditions and that those CFU-B grown with SRBC plus LPS display an increased sensitivity to growth inhibition by tolerogen.