Genetic regulation of the antibody response to H-2Db alloantigens in mice. III. Inhibition of the IgG Response to noncongenic cells by preimmunization with congenic cells.

When B10.A (5R) mice (H-12i5) are immunized with spleen cells from congenic B10 mice (H-12b), they respond to alloantigens of the H-2Db region by producing antibodies of only IgM type. In contrast, they produce both IgM and IgG antibodies when immunized with A.BY cells (H-2b) that carry other foreign cell surface antigens (non-H-2) in addition to H-2Db. Preimmunization of 5R mice with two injections of congenic cells leads to an H-2Db specific inhibition of the IgG response to a subsequent immunization with A.BY cells. It is concluded that congenic B10 cells fail to activate helper T cells which are necessary to induce the switch from IgM to IgG production. Instead T- or B-cell tolerance may be induced with prohibits the subsequent IgG response to A.BY cells, possibly by way of suppressor T cells which may act either on B cells directly or via helper T cells.