The induction of helper and suppressor cells with secondary anti-hen egg-white lysozyme B hybridoma cells in the absence of antigen

The results presented in this report define a dominant T cell-recognized public idiotype (SRId) expressed on monoclonal anti-chicken egg-white lysozyme (HEL) antibodies produced by hybridomas derived from secondary response lymphocytes. This Id mediates interactions between SRId⁺ B cells and SRId-recognizing T cells. In the absence of exogenous antigen, irradiated secondary anti-HEL B hybridoma cells (B-Hyb) of nonoverlapping specificity can be used to induce a helper T cell population capable of specifically stimulating an in vitro anti-HEL plaque-forming cell (PFC) response. Importantly, similar immunizations using carbodiimide-treated secondary anti-HEL B-Hyb cross-primed for a suppressor T cell population capable of suppressing this in vitro anti-HEL PFC response. That is, suppression was seen not only to the response induced by the homologous B-Hyb but to other B-Hyb which express anti-HEL monoclonal antibody of nonoverlapping specificity. This evidence is consistent with the presence of a pre-existent regulatory Id network involving SRId in antigennaive animals. After immunization with HEL, regulatory cells exert a strong selective pressure which leads to a secondary anti-HEL B population, of varying fine specificity, but uniformly positive for SRId.