Suppressor T-cell activity in responder x nonresponder (C57BL/10 x DBA/1)F(1) spleen cells responsive to l-glutamic acid(60)-L-alanine(30)-L-tyrosine (10)

Abstract

The ability of spleen cells from (responder .times. nonresponder) F1 mice immunized with various GAT [L-glutamic acid 60-L-alanine 30-L-tyrosine10]-M.vphi. [macrophage] GAT-MBSA [methylated bovine serum albumin] and soluble GAT to develop Ig[immunoglobulin]G GAT-specific PFC [plague forming cell] responses in vitro after stimulation with responder and nonresponder parental and F1 GAT-M.vphi. was investigated. F1 spleen cells from mice immunized with F1 GAT-M.vphi. or GAT-MBSA developed secondary responses to responder and nonresponder parental and F1 GAT-M.vphi., but not to unrelated 3rd party GAT-M.vphi.. Spleen cells from F1 mice immunized with either parental GAT-M.vphi. developed secondary responses to F1 GAT-M.vphi. and only the parental GAT-M.vphi. used for immunization in vivo. Soluble GAT-primed F1 spleen cells responded to F1 and responder parental, but not nonresponder parental, GAT-M.vphi.. Simultaneous immunization in vivo with the various GAT-M.vphi. or GAT-MBSA plus soluble GAT modulated the response pattern of these F1 spleen cells such that they developed secondary responses only to F1 and parental responder GAT-M.vphi. regardless to the response pattern observed after immunization with the various GAT-M.vphi. or GAT-MBSA alone. These observations demonstrate the critical importance of the physical state of the GAT used for immunization in determining the subsequent response pattern of immune F1 spleen cells to the parental and F1 GAT-M.vphi.. Suppressor T [thymus derived] cells, capable of inhibiting primary responses to GAT by virgin F1 spleen cells stimulated by nonresponder parental GAT-M.vphi., were demonstrated in spleens of F1 mice immunized with insoluble GAT, but not those primed with F1 GAT-M.vphi.. Because responder parental mice develop helper and suppressor T cells after immunization with GAT-M.vphi., and soluble GAT preferentially stimulates suppressor T cells whereas GAT-M.vphi. stimulate helper T cells in nonresponder parental mice, subsets of T cells probably exist in F1 mice which behave phenotypically as responder and nonresponder parental T cells after immunization with soluble GAT and GAT-M.vphi.