Cellular differentiation of the immune system of mice. V. Class differentiation in marrow precursors of plaque-forming cells.

Marrow cells and thymocytes of unprimed donor mice were mixed in vitro and transplanted into X-irradiated syngeneic hosts. 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 marrow cells with 5 x 10(7) thymocytes, inocula were found that contained few precursors of PFC (P-PFC) reaching the recipient spleens, interacting with thymocytes, and generating PFC. However, the frequency of responses in relation to the number of grafted marrow cells did not follow Poisson statistics, presumably because the interaction of marrow cells with thymocytes was more complex than a single or a one-to-one cell event. The frequency of direct PFC responses was greater than that of indirect PFC responses in 13 of 15 groups of mice tested. This was interpreted as evidence for the existence of two classes of P-PFC, each of which was restricted to generate either direct or indirect PFC. The precursors of direct PFC were approximately 15 times more frequent than those of indirect PFC. Since thymic antigen-reactive cells were not differentiated for antibody class, it follows that antigen-sensitive units reactive to sheep erythrocytes owe their class restriction to specialized marrow cells. Specialization of P-PFC may have arisen within marrow cell lines by differentiation, or may have been conferred upon P-PFC by interaction with other cells, including those of the irradiated host.