The fundamental T cell proliferative repertoire in a nonresponder strain and its qualitative alteration by suppression.

B10 mice, although genetically nonresponsive to hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL) after i.p. immunization due to suppressor T cells, make a vigorous helper and proliferative T cell response in the draining popliteal lymph nodes (P-LN) soon after footpad immunization with HEL. The fundamental specificity repertoire in B10 P-LN analyzed with cross-reactive lysozymes, was then compared with that found after the delayed appearance of suppression, in the PETLES. In contrast with B10.A mice, whose T cell specificity pattern was unchanged with time, or anatomical site, the onset of HEL-induced suppression in B10 mice led to a marked heteroreactive shift in specificity pattern. This shift did not occur after immunization with REL (ring-necked pheasant lysozyme), which fails to induce suppression.