Differential macrophage requirements for T helper cell and T helper cell-induced B lymphocyte proliferation

Differential abilities of Th1 and Th2 to induce polyclonal B cell proliferation

Human gamma globulin-specific T helper cell (Th) clones, activated by HGG in the presence of antigen (Ag)-presenting cells, stimulated polyclonal B cell proliferation. Both Th1 and Th2 clones induced B cell proliferation, but Th1 clones were generally 5- to 10-fold less efficient than Th2 in this capacity. Th1 and Th2 each induced proliferation of both small and large B cells, although Th1 induced less B cell proliferation than Th2, regardless of B cell size. Th1-induced B cell proliferation was increased significantly by stimulating the Th1 clones with immobilized anti-CD3 mAb. The B cell response to Ag-activated Th1 clones was also increased by the addition of rIL-4 or culture supernatants from activated Th2 clones, and this enhancement was abolished by addition of anti-IL-4 mAb. The differential capacity of the Th subsets to stimulate B cells could not be attributed to differences in the degree of Ag-induced activation of the Th clones as reflected by Th proliferation or Th expression of activation markers, RL388 Ag, IL-2R, or TfR. Taken together the results suggest that even though Th1 and Th2 are similarly activated by Ag-presenting cells, Ag-activated Th2 interact more effectively with B cells than Ag-activated Th1. It is possible that inefficient interaction and subsequent intercellular signaling between Th1 and B cells results in inefficient Th1-induced B cell proliferation, and that this deficiency may be circumvented by signals (e.g., lymphokines) provided by Th2, or by the stimulation of Th1 with plate-bound anti-CD3 Ab rather than Ag.

Functional analysis of antigen-nonspecific T-cell suppression. I. Effect of mitogen-induced T suppressor cells on helper-T-cell clones

The effect of mitogen-induced nonspecific suppressor T cells (Ts)2 on T-helper-cell activity was investigated using isolated clones of murine T-helper cells as targets. TNP-self-reactive Thy1+, Ly1+ T-cell clones were isolated after continuous culture of T cells derived from picryl chloride-sensitized mice and were characterized by their ability to proliferate in an antigen-specific and MHC-restricted manner. In addition, selected T-cell clones were found to produce both interleukin-2 (Il-2) and T-cell replacing factor (TRF), lymphokines characteristic of helper T cells. Concanavalin A (Con A)-induced Ts cells inhibited the antigen-specific proliferation of these helper-T cell clones in a noncytotoxic manner even in the presence of exogenous Il-2. This implied that failure to proliferate was not merely due to an inability of these clones to produce Il-2. The kinetics of suppression also suggested that early T-cell activation signals were not affected. Furthermore, coculture experiments indicated that while proliferation could be severely inhibited, the actual secretion of lymphokines such as Il-2 and TRF by the T-helper clones was not. Our data suggest that nonspecific Ts modulation of proliferation versus helper factor production are under separate control in cloned T-cell populations, with lymphokine secretion remaining intact in the presence of Con A-induced Ts cells.

The role of I-A/E molecules in B-lymphocyte activation. II. Mechanism of inhibition of the responses to lipopolysaccharide by anti-I-A/E antibodies

We have previously demonstrated that monoclonal anti-I-A/E antibodies inhibit B-cell responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In the present report, the inhibitory effects were shown to be carried out directly on B cells, and to be totally independent of the LPS concentration used, thereby showing that antibodies do not mediate their effect through blocking of accessory cells or steric hindrance of LPS-receptors. Of the three different phases in B-cell activation/induction, proliferation, and maturation, induction was shown to be the most sensitive to inhibition by anti-I-A/E antibodies. Thus, kinetic studies showed that anti-I-A/E antibodies are only inhibitory for the first 16 h of LPS activation, after which B cells can no longer be inhibited by these antibodies. Class II MHC molecules appear, therefore, to be part of a membrane molecular complex which regulates delivery of activation signals to resting B cells. Since it was also shown that this time period corresponds approximately to the time required for B cells to express functional reactivity to growth factors, we suggest that anti-I-A/E antibodies act on resting B lymphocytes to inhibit mitogen-dependent induction of growth receptor expression.

Accessory cell function of cells isolated from Mycobacterium leprae-induced granulomas

The large cells from Mycobacterium leprae-induced granulomas in guinea pig lymph nodes were separated by Percoll discontinuous density gradient centrifugation and on a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) using cross-reacting monoclonal antibody to human MHC Class II antigens. Large Percoll-separated cells (83% Class II antigen positive and 52% macrophage-specific antigen positive) and FACS-separated cells are able to act as antigen-presenting cells for T-cell proliferation to PPD. In previous studies, macrophage antigen-positive cells consistently failed to act as accessory cells. This indicates that there is a population of accessory cells which are macrophage antigen negative and MHC Class II antigen positive present in these M. leprae-induced granulomas.

Cross-reactive recognition by antigen-specific, major histocompatibility complex-restricted T cells of a mitogen derived from Mycoplasma arthritidis is clonally expressed and I-E restricted

In order to determine whether or not the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-encoded restriction element used by a T cell in the recognition of its primary antigen affected its ability to be cross-reactively stimulated by MAS (a soluble product of Mycoplasma arthritidis), a panel of cloned, soluble antigen-specific I-A- and I-E-restricted T cells were tested for their ability to cross-reactively recognize and respond to MAS. Initial studies indicated that all of the cloned T cells tested were capable of responding to MAS in the presence of genetically E alpha E beta-expressing (I-E+), but not E alpha E beta-non-expressing (I-E-) accessory cells (AC). However, subsequent studies demonstrated that the ability of most of these T cell clones to mount proliferative responses to MAS in the presence of I-E+ AC was dependent upon the presence of Lyt-1+2- T cells in the irradiated spleen cells which were used as AC sources. When T cell-depleted, I-E+ populations of spleen cells or an I-E+ antigen-presenting line (WEHI-5) were used as AC sources, only 6 of the 34 clones tested were found to be directly responsive to MAS. Subsequent to stimulation by MAS plus I-E product, these MAS-reactive T cell clones were capable of "recruiting" bystander T cells to proliferate. Finally, the ability of a given T cell clone to respond to MAS plus I-E product did not appear to be influenced by the restriction element used by that clone in its response to other antigens since both I-A-restricted and I-E-restricted T cell clones were responsive to MAS plus I-E in equivalent proportions. Thus, the data presented indicated that I-E-restricted T cell reactivity to MAS is a clonally expressed property of T cells that is independent of their conventional antigen specificities and MHC restriction patterns.

The commitment of secretory cells to the selective expression of immunoglobulin CH genes is determined by the available concentrations of the triggering ligand

The property of lipopolysaccharide to induce B cells to both proliferate and differentiate to IgM, IgG3 and IgG2b expression can be ascribed either to a precommitted sequence of molecular events in the activated B cells or, alternatively, to separate activities which independently modulate the two events. To discriminate between these two possibilities we have investigated the relationship between the doses of the polyclonal stimulus and the commitment of the activated cells to proliferate and to produce various isotypes. Low doses of ligand supported proliferation as well as IgM but not IgG2b secretion. On the contrary, high doses of the same ligand were less efficient in supporting proliferation but strongly induced heavy chain class switch. The effect of lipopolysaccharide concentrations on CH genes expression decayed with the distance from mu to the respective C gamma gene. Although we could define different B cell subsets on the basis of their proliferative response to various doses of the ligand, all these B subpopulations were found to be multipotential in terms of their switching capacity. Taken together our data show that in lipopolysaccharide cultures B cell proliferation and heavy chain switch are two events completely dissociable on the basis of their inducing requirements.

Different functional subsets of cultured murine T cells express characteristic levels of adenosine deaminase activity

The level of adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in mouse T-lymphocyte cultures was studied under different growth-supporting conditions and in mixed lymphocyte culture-derived long-term T-cell lines and clones. Early after the initiation of in vitro culture, the levels of ADA (2000 U/mg) were similar in bulk cultures either depleted or not depleted in Lyt-2+ T cells. Enrichment for cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) obtained by addition of exogenous interleukin 2 (IL-2), was accompanied by a net decrease of ADA activity (110 +/- 15 U/mg). All the tested CTL-A lines derived from such cultures were also characterized by a low or undetectable level of this enzyme (at best 160 +/- 70 U/mg) as previously observed. In contrast, "Lyt-2-" T-cell bulk cultures grown, without addition of exogenous IL-2, in the presence of gamma-irradiated H-2d stimulators maintained a constant level of ADA activity (1770 +/- 340 U/mg) for at least 3 months. Functionally distinct types of Lyt-2- T-cell lines were also analyzed: T-cell lines competent to activate B lymphocytes to growth and terminal maturation as well as others devoid of detectable functions showed a stable ADA level comparable to that expressed by the original bulk culture 1685 +/- 620 U/mg). The present results demonstrate that, like tumor cell lines, most normal T lymphocytes express a high level of ADA activity in culture, which strongly suggests that the low level of ADA activity exhibited by CTL is a characteristic of this functional subset.

Functional analysis of pokeweed mitogen-dependent cell interactions in murine spleen cells. I. Lack of B-cell mitogenicity and low frequency of effector helper T cells

The nature of lymphocyte responses on addition of pokeweed mitogen (PWM) to normal murine spleen cells was studied in low cell density cultures. PWM, over a wide range of concentrations, stimulated proliferation in a set of cells roughly 10-fold smaller than the lymphocyte populations responding to either concanavalin A or lipopolysaccharide. PWM also induced a relatively small number of B lymphocytes in these cultures to mature to Ig-secreting plaque-forming cells (PFC). Proliferative and PFC responses were completely abrogated by T-cell removal from normal spleen cell cultures. Moreover, cell mixture and irradiation experiments demonstrated that B lymphocytes do not proliferate in response to PWM, even in the presence of an excess of normal T cells, suggesting that PFC development results from terminal maturation without proliferation. Finally, parallel titrations of cloned helper cells, normal splenic T cells or T-cell blasts induced by PWM showed that the poor B-lymphocyte responses in normal spleen cell cultures is due to the very low frequency of competent helper cells in these populations. PWM, however, was competent to activate and expand this set of helper lymphocytes in primary cultures.

Interactions of small B lymphocytes with unprimed noncytolytic T cells: dissociation between "presentation" and growth induction

The accessory cell requirements in lectin-dependent triggering and growth of unprimed Lyt-2-T lymphocytes were analyzed by quantitatively comparing the ability of small B cells and peritoneal macrophages to either induce reactivity to growth factors or support growth. Lightly or nonirradiated small B cells were 15 to 30-fold less efficient as compared to T cell-depleted peritoneal cell populations, in the support of the lectin-stimulated Lyt-2-T cell proliferation. In contrast, lightly irradiated small B lymphocytes were quantitatively as efficient as macrophages in mediating lectin-driven Lyt-2-T cell proliferation, if relevant supernatants were added into culture. Finally, supernatants derived from cultures where T-small B cell ratios were optimal for growth of responder Lyt-2-lymphocytes were two orders of magnitude less efficient than conditioned medium obtained from cultures containing optimal T-macrophage ratios, in their ability to support growth of activated T cells. We conclude from these experiments that: in contrast to cytolytic T cell precursors, lectin-dependent induction of unprimed Lyt-2- T lymphocytes requires accessory cells; small B cells and macrophages are equally competent in this respect; and growth support by small B cell populations is due to contamination by macrophages which are the only cell type performing this function. We therefore interpret reports on Lyt-2- T cell proliferation upon stimulation with high numbers of small B cells as a two-step process: "presentation" and induction of T cells which is essentially B cell dependent, and factor production ensured by contaminating macrophages.

Activation and growth requirements for cytotoxic and noncytotoxic T lymphocytes

The number and nature of the "signals" required for lymphocyte activation have been so repetitively and academically discussed over the last 15 years that both the readers and the authors appear exhausted by such exercises. Yet, what may be considered to be the essential question, the basis for self-nonself discrimination, remains to be clarified. Since it has been established that clonal expansion and maturation to effector functions are brought about by polyclonally ("immunologically nonspecific") active factors, it is obvious that the crucial "step" in this context is the initial interaction of antigen with specific receptors of immunocompetent lymphocytes. This initial discriminatory event appears to proceed differently on the various cell subsets. We first deal with the mechanism of induction and growth of cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte precursors, and then discuss the inductive requirements leading to proliferation of T helper cells.

Heterogeneity in the response of T cells to antigens presented by B lymphoma cells

Proliferation of antigen-specific T-cell populations was induced in cultures stimulated with antigen and a suitable source of antigen-presenting cells. Soluble (keyhole limpet hemocyanin) and particulate (horse red blood cells) antigens were presented by irradiated spleen cells and by a variety of B-lymphoma-cell lines, providing support for antigen-specific H-2-restricted T-cell responses. A marked heterogeneity was demonstrated, however, in the capacity of T-cell lines to proliferate in response to antigen presented by the B-lymphoma cells. T-cell populations were prepared from the lymph nodes of antigen-primed mice and restimulated in vitro in the presence of antigen and irradiated spleen cells. During the first six in vitro restimulations, these T-cell populations maintained the capacity to respond to antigen presented either by irradiated spleen cells or by B-lymphoma cells. Continued growth of these T-cell populations, again in the presence of antigen and irradiated spleen cells, resulted in the generation of T-cell lines which had lost the ability to respond to antigen presented by B-lymphoma cells. These lines however, fully retained the capacity to proliferate in the presence of antigen and irradiated spleen cells. T-cell clones derived from one of these lines were also unable to respond to antigen presented by B-lymphoma cells but again proliferated in the presence of antigen and irradiated spleen cells. Supernatants containing high levels of IL-1, IL-2, or IL-3 activity failed to reconstituted the antigen-specific response of T-cell lines which had lost the capacity to respond to antigen presented by B-lymphoma cells. Furthermore, titrated numbers of irradiated spleen cells, while having the capacity to support T-cell proliferation themselves, failed to synergize with B-lymphoma cells in the support of antigen-specific T-cell proliferation. Thus we have defined populations of antigen-specific, H-2-restricted T cells which do not recognize antigen presented by B-lymphoma cells and can therefore discriminate between different antigen-presenting cell types.

A quantitative assay detecting small numbers of effector helper T cells, regardless of clonal specificity

We have developed a new assay for quantitative detection of all helper T cells that can induce normal B lymphocytes to proliferation and Ig secretion. To establish the optimal assay conditions, we have used cloned T helper cells of defined specificities that had previously been shown to activate normal B lymphocytes expressing the specific antigen(s) on direct cellular interactions. As shown in this paper, 'irrelevant' B lymphocytes--that is, those that do not express either antigen or restriction elements recognized by the effector helper T cells--can also be induced in the presence of appropriate concentrations of pokeweed mitogen which are not mitogenic for the 'target' B lymphocytes. 'Nonspecific' plaque-forming cell responses are of the same magnitude as those provided to specifically triggered targets and equal or better than those induced by lipopolysaccharide. The assay is highly sensitive and enables 'semi-quantitative' detection of less than 20-30 effector T cells per culture. Since effector helper T cells can be detected regardless of the clonal specificity, the assay appears useful for quantitative studies of various populations of T helper cells displaying mixed specificities and for the classification of cells with unknown functions.

Functional and chemical characterization of B-cell growth factor produced by normal cloned T helper cells

Media conditioned by clones of normal helper T cells exposed to appropriate antigen-presenting cells contain growth-promoting activity for B-cell blasts induced either by lipopolysaccharide or on direct interaction with competent helper cells. This B-cell growth factor (TH-BGAPet) is recovered on sodium doecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis corresponding to mol. wt of 15,000-20,000 displays no mitogenicity for small, non-induced B lymphocytes and is completely devoid of the ability to activate immunoglobulin secretion in proliferating B cells. These results are ascribed to the activity derived from normal T cells, with the same characteristics as BSF-p1 previously obtained from lymphomas and hybridomas. Since hybridization of these T helper cells results in the constitutive production of BSF-p1 in the absence of macrophages, these experiments demonstrate that BSF-p1 is a normal T-cell product.

On the role of I-A antigens in lectin- and antigen-induced interleukin 2 production

The role of I-A molecules in lectin- and antigen-induced interleukin 2 (IL2) production has been analyzed using monoclonal antibodies. Both lectin- and antigen [plus major histocompatibility complex (MHC)]-induced IL2 production were profoundly inhibited by monoclonal anti-I-A antibodies, whereas monoclonal anti-D and anti-K antibodies had no effect. The anti-I-A-mediated inhibition of lectin-induced IL2 production was fully overcome by addition of interleukin 1 (IL 1), while no reconstitution was observed in antigen (plus MHC)-specific induction. Anti-I-A antibodies were also found to inhibit the T cell-independent induction of IL 1 production. I-A antigens appear, therefore, to play two distinct roles in the induction of IL 2 production: (a) I-A molecules are directly involved in mediating activation signals to the macrophages at the level of IL 1 production; (b) I-A epitopes act as restricting elements in specific antigen recognition by T helper cells at the level of IL 2 production, a requirement which is overcome by lectin.

T cell-dependent B cell activation

T cell-dependent induction of small, resting B lymphocytes requires direct recognition of antigen and/or I-A/E molecules on the B cell surface by the inducing helper cell, and it does not require the participation of Ig receptors on the responding B cell. Triggering B cell receptors, therefore, are either the I-A/E molecules themselves, or other structures with complementarities on helper cell membranes that become available for productive interactions upon I-A/E recognition. It would appear that signal delivery by such triggering receptors can be regulated by a membrane complex of molecules, involving immunoglobulins, Class II MHC molecules and other classes of receptors, which in selective and distinct manners control the quantitative levels of expression and/or availability of the relevant structures. Classical in vivo observations and our in vitro experiments led us to conclude that induction of B cells does not occur upon binding of T cell-dependent antigens to Ig receptors and, consequently, that B lymphocyte activation by anti-receptor antibodies has no physiological counterpart. Induced B lymphocytes proliferate and mature to high rate secretion of antibodies under the influence of selective growth and maturation factors produced by helper cells which are MHC-unrelated, act polyclonally and have no influence in normal, resting cells. Specific ligand interactions with the membrane molecules participating of that functional complex may also regulate reactivity to either growth or maturation factors, and, thus, control clonal performances and the fate of activated cells.

Quantitative variation in la antigen expression plays a central role in immune regulation

The analysis of la antigen function has focused primarily on allelic variants of Ia molecules. In this review Charles Janeway and his colleagues discuss evidence that quantitative rather than qualitative variation in Ia antigen expression had a major role in immunoregulation and immunologically mediated disease.

Antigen presentation by resting B cells. Radiosensitivity of the antigen-presentation function and two distinct pathways of T cell activation

In this report we have examined the ability of small resting B cells to act as antigen-presenting cells (APC) to antigen-specific MHC-restricted T cells as assessed by either T cell proliferation or T cell-dependent B cell stimulation. We found that 10 of 14 in vitro antigen-specific MHC-restricted T cell clones and lines and three of four T cell hybridomas could be induced to either proliferate or secrete IL-2 in the presence of lightly irradiated (1,000 rads) purified B cells and the appropriate foreign antigen. All T cell lines and hybridomas were stimulated to proliferate or make IL-2 by macrophage- and dendritic cell-enriched populations and all T cells tested except one hybridoma caused B cell activation when stimulated with B cells as APC. Furthermore, lightly irradiated, highly purified syngeneic B cells were as potent a source of APC for inducing B cell activation as were low density dendritic and macrophage-enriched cells. Lymph node T cells freshly taken from antigen-primed animals were also found to proliferate when cultured with purified B cells and the appropriate antigen. Thus, small resting B cells can function as APC to a variety of T cells. This APC function was easily measured when the cells were irradiated with 1,000 rads, but was greatly diminished or absent when they were irradiated with 3,300 rads. Thus, the failure of some other laboratories to observe this phenomenon may be the result of the relative radiosensitivity of the antigen-presenting function of the B cells. In addition, this radiosensitivity allowed us to easily distinguish B cell antigen presentation from presentation by the dendritic cell and macrophage, as the latter was resistant to 3,300 rads. Finally, one T cell clone that failed to proliferate when B cells were used as APC was able to recruit allogeneic B cells to proliferate in the presence of syngeneic B cells and the appropriate antigen. This result suggests that there are at least two distinct pathways of activation in T cells, one that leads to T cell proliferation and one that leads to the secretion of B cell recruitment factor(s).

B lymphocyte activation upon exclusive recognition of major histocompatibility antigens by T helper cells

This study has investigated whether exclusive recognition of I-A or I-E molecules on the B cell surface by T helper cells is sufficient to activate resting B cells. Lines and clones of long-term-cultured T helper cells with specificity for I-A or I-E antigens have been derived from mixed lymphocyte cultures between spleen cells from major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-congenic mouse strains. These cells were tested for helper activity and proved competent to induce resting B lymphocytes expressing the specific MHC antigens to polyclonal expansion and maturation to Ig secretion. B cell activation was shown to require direct recognition of I-A/E antigens by the helper cells on the responding B lymphocyte surface and it could not be achieved by soluble factors released by "third-party" helper cell activity ongoing in the same cultures. Since B lymphocyte activation occurs in the absence of antigen recognition by the responding B cells, these observations suggest that I-A and I-E molecules expressed on the B cell surface participate in the functional reception of T helper cell-derived induction signals.

The polyclonal lipopolysaccharide response is accessory-cell-dependent

Different concentrations of spleen cells from C57BL.10 mice were activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and DNA synthesis and IgM and IgG secretion were measured. The dilution curve was sigmoid, and the response was rapidly lost below a certain cell concentration. In the presence of thymocytes or spleen cells from the LPS-non-responder strain C57BL.10/ScCr the dilution curve for the LPS response of cells from C57BL.10 mice became linear, and the overall response was increased. Irradiated cells could not restore the response at suboptimal cell concentrations. In addition, enriched T cells restored the response as well as normal spleen cells, whereas enriched B cells did not. We compared the restoring capacity of different filler cells for the LPS response with that of a plasmacytoma cell line cultured at suboptimal cell concentrations. The results are compatible with the idea that the filler cells provide growth-stimulating activity to LPS-responsive cells but growth-supporting activity to the tumour cells. Furthermore, highly enriched B-cell populations respond poorly to LPS, but the response can be partly restored by filler cells. These data suggest that the LPS response is accessory-cell-dependent.

Activation of helper T cells for B lymphocytes in primary mixed lymphocyte cultures

Normal B10.BR (H-2k, C57B1/6 background) spleen cells, enriched in primary mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) for antigens of C3H/Tif mice (H-2k, C3H background), induced normal C3H/Tif but not B10.BR B lymphocytes to proliferate and produce Ig. In contrast, normal B10.BR spleen cells enriched in parallel B10.BR anti-C57B1/6 (H-2b) MLC were not able to activate either B10.BR or C57B1/6 B lymphocytes. However, normal B10.BR spleen cells depleted of Lyt2+ cells before initiation of the MLC, and subsequently enriched either for C3H/Tif or C57B1/6 antigens, activated B lymphocytes of the respective mouse strains specifically and equally well. These experiments show that primary MLC gives rise to effector T helper cells that, on recognition of specific alloantigens, activate normal B lymphocytes of the 'stimulator' strain. In response to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alloantigens, this help is not revealed because of interference by Lyt 2+ lymphocytes. MHC-reactive T helper cells for B lymphocytes, however, participate in these reactions and constitute the predominant population in long-term cultures that are maintained by consecutive in vitro restimulations.

From the mechanisms of lymphocyte activation to internal activity in the immune system

The principles of lymphocyte activation were summarized for all three sets of immunocompetent cells: B cells, cytotoxic cells and helper T lymphocytes. They were then used to derive the basic mechanisms and specificities which drive internal activity in the normal immune system and which select available antibody repertoires. It was postulated that "natural antibodies" are induced by "natural helper cells" and are selected on the basis of their idiotypic profiles, which are complementary to available T-helper-cell repertoires. "Natural idiotypes" would then carry idiotopes similar to MHC epitopes, the predominant germ-line specificity of T-cell repertoires.

Distinct helper activities control growth or maturation of B lymphocytes

A clone (C-11) of C3H/HeJ Lyt-1+2-T cells with specificity for "minor" antigens of C3H/Tif has been isolated which, in contrast to other similarly derived clones, did not activate polyclonal plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses in T cell-depleted "target" spleen cells. This clone, however, showed unaltered proliferative responses to the naturally occurring antigen(s) on presenting cells, and strongly synergized with regular helper clones in the induction of PFC responses. Further analysis demonstrated that C-11 cells are competent to stimulate extensive "target" B cell proliferation, but lack the ability to produce (or participate in the production of) maturation factors for activated B cells. Thus, the defective PFC responses could be fully reconstituted with supernatants from regular clones stimulated with antigen, but not by supernatants prepared from the C-11 cells themselves. While it is not clear whether this clone represents a normal helper T cell subpopulation or a variant that has lost maturation-factor production, these results demonstrate that distinct factors control growth and maturation in T cell-dependent B lymphocyte responses.