Cellular and genetic control of antibody responses. V. Helper T-cell recognition of H-2 determinants on accessory cells but not B cells.

Requirements for helper T-cell recognition of H-2 determinants expressed on adherent accessory cells and on B cells was individually assessed in the anti-hapten PFC responses to TNP-KLH. Complicating allogeneic effects were minimized or avoided by the use of helper T cells from normal F1 hybrids, parent leads to F1 chimeras, and F1 leads to parent chimeras. The results of both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that: (a) helper T cells are not required to recognize the identical H-2 determinants on both accessory cells and B cells; (b) helper T cells are required to recognize K or I-A region-encoded determinants expressed on accessory cells; (c) no requirement was observed in vitro or in vivo for helper T-cell recognition of B-cell-expressed H-2 determinants; and (d) no requirement was observed for H-2 homology between accessory cells and B cells. The absence of required helper T-cell recognition of the identical H-2 determinants on both accessory cells and B cells was demonstrated in two ways: (a) naive of KLH-primed (A x B)F1 hybrid helper T cells collaborated equally well with B cells from either parentA or parentB in the presence of accessory cells from either parent; (b) A leads to (A x B)F1 chimeric spleen cells depleted of accessory cells collaborated equally well with accessory cells from either parentA or parentB, even though the B cells only expressed the H-2 determinants of parentA. A requirement for helper T-cell recognition of K or I-A region-encoded H-2 determinants on accessory cells was also demonstrated in two ways: (a) (A x B)F1 leads to parentA chimeric spleen cells depleted of accessory cells collaborated with accessory cells from parentA but not parentB; and (b) (A x B)F1 leads to parentA chimeric helper T cells collaborated with normal F1 B cells only in the presence of parental or recombinant accessory cells that expressed the K or I-A region-encoded determinants of parentA. Although restricted in their ability to recognize H-2 determinants on accessory cells, it was demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo that (A x B)F1 leads to parentA chimeric helper T cells were able to collaborate with B cells from either parentA or parentB. In vitro in the presence of accessory cells from parentA, (A x B)F1 leads to parentA chimeric helper T cells collaborated equally well with B cells from either parent. In addition, the inability of (A x B)F1 leads to parentA chimeric helper T cells to collaborate with (B + accessory) cells from parentB was successfully reversed by the addition of parentA SAC as added accessory cells. In vivo, upon the addition of parentA accessory cells, (A x B)F1 leads to parentA chimeric helper T cells collaborated with parentB B cells in short-term adoptive transfer experiments.