Anti B and T cell activity of antiserum to spleen cells of athymic (nu/nu) mice: evidence for surface antigenic differences between functionally distinct subclasses of T and B lymphocytes.

A rabbit antiserum obtained by immunization with spleen cells of nu/nu mice, known to be deficient in thymus and T cells but not in T cell precursor, possesses two different specificities. In addition to activity against bone marrow-derived lymphocytes (B cells), as revealed by inhibition of antibody forming cells and myeloma cells, the antiserum (Ra-nu/nu) has strong activity against cytotoxic T cells but not against helper T cells. Differences in sensitivity to antiserum treatment between anatomically and functionally distinct B cells point to surface antigenic differences among subclasses of B cells.