Relation of a cross-reactive idiotype to genetic control of the immune response.

Antibodies elicited in strain A mice by immunization with keyhole limpet hemocyanin-p-azophenylarsonate (KLH-Ar) produce anti-Ar antibodies, some of which share a cross-reactive idiotype (CRI); in general, 20 to 70% of the antihapten antibody population carries the idiotype. Large amounts of antibody can be produced by the induction of ascitic fluids, using a 9:1 ratio of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) to antigen. Antibodies with the CRI can be isolated by isoelectric focusing from selected mice that have produced a high concentration of the CRI. The H chains exhibit a single homogeneous sequence through the first hypervariable region and, when isolated from a large number of individual mice, appear to be invariant in the first framework region. These findings indicate that somatic mutation is not a significant factor in the determination of framework sequences. Appearance of the CRI can be suppressed in adult A/J mice by administration of rabbit anti-idiotypic antiserum prior to immunization. Such suppressed mice produce normal concentrations of anti-Ar antibodies lacking the CRI. Anti-idiotypic antibodies produced against such antibodies failed to show cross-reactivity with anti-Ar antibodies arising in idiotypically suppressed or nonsuppressed A/J mice. The great sensitivity of the assay indicates that the number of such "private" idiotypes, all present on anti-Ar antibodies of a single strain, must be extremely large; this supports a somatic mechanism for the generation of diversity. The "private" idiotypes arising in suppressed, hyperimmunized mice can be adoptively transferred into multiple, irradiated (200 R) recipients by injections of spleen cells or of cells from ascitic fluids. The use of ascitic fluids permits the rapid production of a colony of mice bearing the idiotype. This should facilitate structural studies of a variety of idiotypically different molecules sharing the same (anti-Ar) specificity, as well as studies of the mechanism of suppression.     

Tolerance to azobenzenearsonate: idiotype-specific suppression, B cell dominance, and clonal elimination

Twenty to 70% of the antibody molecules produced by individual A/J mice in response to azobenzenearsonate (ABA) bear a particular idiotype termed the major cross-reactive idiotype (CRI). Mice that were made tolerant to ABA by injection of ABA coupled to human gamma-globulin show a decrease in production of ABA-specific antibody and a preferential loss of the major CRI. In the experiments reported here, we have used adoptive cell transfers and splenic fragment culture assays to study the mechanism(s) involved in the tolerance to ABA, with emphasis on the preferential loss of the CRI. These studies show that the decrease in total anti-ABA after the induction of tolerance is the result of a decrease in the number of ABA-responsive B cells independent of CRI expression. The preferential loss of the CRI is due to idiotype-specific T cell suppression and/or B cell dominance. In addition, it is demonstrated that immunization in the presence of idiotype-specific suppression converts a normally immunogenic stimulus into a tolerogenic signal, resulting in a decrease in the absolute number of CRI+ B cell precursors.     

Role of self carriers in the immune response and tolerance. VIII. Suppression of the MOPC-104E idiotypic response by idiotype-modified self, but not by dextran-modified self

We have investigated the suppression of the anti-dextran B1355S immune response using our model of modified self. The anti-dextran response is idiotypically well defined in BALB/c mice. This system enables us to examine the contribution of various predominant idiotypes to the antibody response under conditions of suppression by antigen or by idiotype-specific suppressor cells. Our results demonstrate that the total anti-dextran response can be inhibited by pretreatment of animals with dextran-coupled syngeneic spleen cells; however, the representation of major idiotypes constituting this response are not reduced in percentage. In contrast, pretreatment of mice with MOPC-104E-coupled spleen cells leads to a specific suppression of the private IdI-104E idiotype. The total anti-dextran response remains unchanged, as well as proportions of other major idiotypes known (IdI-588 and IdX). This suppression is mediated by Thy-1.2+, Lyt-2.2+ T cells, as demonstrated by adoptive transfer assays. This system will allow the molecular dissection of the regulation of an idiotypically well-defined system for the suppression by either antigen- or idiotype-specific suppressor T cells.     

Effect of antigen priming on T-cell suppression. I. Activity of Ly 1+2+ feedback suppressor T-cell precursors after isolation from competing Ly 2-T cells

Previous experiments have demonstrated that feedback suppression of murine antibody responses occurs in vitro after exposure of unprimed T-cell subsets to suppression-inducing signals from primed cells, resulting in suppression of primary and secondary IgM as well as IgG anti-SRBC responses. However, following priming with antigen when cells appear which are capable of inducing feedback suppression, the ability of unfractionated splenic T-cell populations to mediate detectable feedback suppression in vitro rapidly disappears, suggesting that priming alters the expression of feedback suppression at the same time as providing for its induction. In the present study, we have succeeded in isolating active feedback suppressor T-cell precursors (preTs) in the Ly 1+2+ and L3T4- T-cell populations from SRBC-primed as well as from unprimed mice, demonstrating that preTs are not lost after priming. The preTs isolated from primed mice resemble those isolated from unprimed mice in Ly and L3T4 phenotype, cell dose requirements, kinetics, level of suppression, and requirement for in vitro activation by primed cells. These results imply that antigen priming neither significantly depresses nor enhances the ability of Ly 1+2+ preTs to participate in feedback suppression and that activated suppressor effector cells are not detectable in the Ly 1+2+ splenic T-cell subset. Priming does, however, induce an enhancing activity in Ly 2-, L3T4+ T cells which appears to compete with feedback suppression and thus may account for the absence of detectable feedback suppression when unfractionated T cells from primed mice are the only source of preTs.     

Immunoregulatory circuits among T cell sets: effect of mode of immunization on determining which Lyl T cell sets will be activated.

Lyl T cells are able to induce B cells to make antibody and also to induce a resting Lyl23 T cell set to exert potent feedback suppression. Which of these two pathways Lyl T cells take can be influenced by the mode of immunization. In particular, in vitro immunized Lyl T cells are more likely to induce suppression than are Lyl T cells immunized in vivo even when both populations deliver the same amount of help to purified B cells. The feedback suppression induced by the Lyl T cells immunized in vitro can be distinguished from suppression mediated by Ly2+ T cells; in the former case suppression is preceded by a precocious antibody response, whereas suppression mediated by Ly2+ T cells is apparent throughout the entire period of observation.     

Suppressor T cells, distinct from "veto cells," are induced by alloantigen priming and mediate transferable suppression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses in vivo

Primary and secondary cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses to minor alloantigens can be suppressed by priming host mice with a high dose (10(8) cells) of alloantigenic donor spleen cells (SC). Such suppression is antigen specific and transferable into secondary hosts with T cells. One interpretation of this is that antigen-specific host suppressor T cells (Ts) are activated. Alternatively, donor Lyt-2+ T cells, introduced in the priming inoculum, may inactivate host CTL precursors (CTLp) that recognize the priming (donor) alloantigens. Donor cells that act in this way are termed veto T cells. The experiments described here exclude veto T cell participation in transferable alloantigen-specific suppression, and demonstrate the operation of an alloantigen-specific host-derived T suppressor (Ts) cell. The origin of the Ts has been studied directly by using Thy-1-disparate BALB/c mice. The cell responsible for the transfer of suppression of a secondary CTL response to B10 minors was of the host Thy-1 allotype, and so originated in the host spleen and was not introduced in the priming inoculum. Secondly, antigen-specific Ts generated in CBA female mice against B10 minors could act on CTL responses to an unequivocally non-cross-reactive-third party antigen (H-Y), provided the two antigens were expressed on the same cell membrane. Such third-party suppression is incompatible with the operation of veto T cells. Depletion of Thy-1.2+ or Lyt-2+ cells from the suppression-inducing donor SC inoculum did not abrogate suppression induction in BALB/c mice; instead, suppression was enhanced. The demonstration of veto cell activity in similarly primed mice by other groups of investigators indicates that both types of suppression may operate. However, our results show that only antigen-specific Ts can mediate the transferable suppression of CTL responses to alloantigens.     

Mechanism of neonatal idiotype suppression. II. Alterations in the T cell compartment suppress the maturation of B cell precursors

The cellular mechanism in neonatally suppressed BALB/c mice, which maintains the chronic suppressed state of the TEPC-15 idiotype in the antibody response to phosphorylcholine (PC), was investigated. Cells taken from these suppressed mice cannot transfer suppression to adult BALB/c or affect the in vitro response to PC of adult BALB/c spleen cells. However, spleen cells or T cells from neonatally suppressed mice given to neonatal animals induce chronic suppression of the TEPC-15 idiotype in the anti-PC response. Co-transfer of T cells from neonatally suppressed cells with normal T cells prevented the induction of suppression in neonates. Transfer of T cells from normal or keyhole limpet hemocyanin-primed BALB/c increased the expression of TEPC-15 idiotype in chronically suppressed mice, whereas T cells from neonatally suppressed were ineffective. These findings show that T cells in neonatally suppressed mice can affect the development of immature but not mature cells. The restoration of TEPC-15 expression in neonatally suppressed animals by normal T cells and the failure to induce suppression in neonates by co-transfers of T cells from normal and chronically suppressed mice demonstrate the profound role of an altered T cell compartment in sustaining chronic idiotype suppression.     

I-J restriction of T cells that suppress in vivo antibody responses to Thy-1

The contact-sensitizing haptens dinitrophenyl (DNP) and oxazalone (Ox) act as helper determinants for antibody responses to Thy-1 when conjugated to donor thymus cells. The helper effect is transferrable from primed to naive mice with spleen cells, producing specific augmentation of in vivo PFC responses to Thy-1. The helper cells are hapten-specific and require associative recognition of hapten and Thy-1, excluding a role for nonspecific B cell activation. The phenotype of the helper cells is Thy-1+ and Lyt-1+2-. Antigen-specific suppression could be readily generated by using an inoculum of DNP-modified syngeneic RBC. T cells from these suppressed donors (Ts) were shown to abolish the helper effects of TH in adoptive transfer experiments in vivo. These Ts were characterized as Thy-1+ and Lyt-1-2+. A requirement for MHC compatibility at the I-J subregion was necessary between the Ts and the recipient to obtain a transfer of suppression.     

Perturbation of the idiotypic network. II. Transfer of suppression to neonatal mice

The cellular mechanisms which are responsible for idiotype perturbation induced by repeated stimulation with either allogeneic mixed lymphocyte culture-generated syngeneic blasts or allogeneically stimulated syngeneic spleen cells were investigated as described in the preceding article. Using the splenic fragment culture system, the precursor frequencies of T and B cells for anti-phosphorylcholine (PC) antibodies and T15 idiotypic antibodies were determined in allogeneically challenged mice. Adoptive transfers of T cells to neonatal BALB/c mice induced suppression of the T15+ anti-PC responses. In addition, the effect of immunization with internal image-bearing anti-idiotopes on the level of anti-PC antibodies and T15 idiotype was determined. Results from this study demonstrated (i) a decrease in the precursor frequency in the PC-specific and idiotype-specific B cell repertoire; (ii) a decrease in the precursor frequency of T helper cells, which recognize idiotypes and anti-idiotypes; (iii) the possibility to transfer T15 suppression to neonatal mice; and (iv) the possibility to restore T15 dominance by anti-idiotypic antibody immunization. These data indicate that both the T and B compartments are involved in the maintenance of suppression induced by repeated exposure to alloantigen-sensitized syngeneic cells. Collectively these findings show that a nonspecific general suppression induced by allohyperimmunization can perturb the T15+ anti-PC response.     

Suppressor T cells induced by soluble immune complexes can adoptively transfer inhibition of cytophilic antibody receptors on macrophages.

Immune complexes (soluble antigens of L1210 and antibody to L1210) when given to allogeneic C3H mice generated suppressor cells that inhibited receptors for cytophilic antibody on macrophages. Thymocytes or nylon-nonadherent splenic T cells (4 × 10⁷) from immune-complex-treated mice transferred this suppressive activity when injected into normal syngeneic mice. Maximal suppression of macrophages occurred 4 to 6 days after transfer. In contrast, even 5 × 10⁷ nylon-adherent, non-T spleen cells from immune-complex-treated (“suppressed”) mice failed to induce macrophage suppression in the syngeneic recipients. When T-cell-depleted “B” mice were used as recipients, neither thymocytes nor splenic T cells from suppressed mice were able to transfer suppressive activity. However, the admixture of 2 × 10⁷ normal syngeneic thymocytes with 4 × 10⁷ thymocytes from suppressed mice restored the latter's ability to elicit suppression of macrophages in T-cell-deprived recipients. Peritoneal monocytes from recipients of suppressor thymocytes (to L1210) could not attach cytophilic antibody to L1210 but could attach cytophilic antibody to EL-4 and sheep erythrocytes. Thus, suppressor T cells induced by immune complexes can transfer immunologically specific macrophage suppression (inhibition of cytophilic antibody receptors) to syngeneic recipients. The suppressor cells required the cooperation of normal T cells, suggesting either recruitment of suppressor cells from, or a helper effect by, the normal T cells, in order to produce their effect.     

Adoptive transfer of resistance to growth of an idiotype-secreting hybridoma by T cells from idiotypically suppressed mice

A/J or CAF1 mice that are suppressed with respect to an idiotype, CRIA, associated with anti-Ar antibodies, and hyperimmunized develop high concentrations of idiotype-suppressor T cells. In this paper we show that such CAF1 mice are resistant to the growth of a CRIA-positive hybridoma that is lethal in normal or in immunized non-suppressed mice. No resistance was observed to the growth of a hybridoma secreting anti-Ar antibodies that lack CRIA. The state of resistance could be adoptively transferred to naive syngeneic recipients with spleen cells or T-enriched spleen cells from suppressed hyper-immunized mice; B-enriched cells were ineffective.     

Allotype-linked production of an idiotype-specific factor that promotes idiotype expression in nonresponder strains

We had previously demonstrated that expression of the cross-reactive idiotypes (CRI) in the phenyltrimethylammonium (TMA) system depends on the presence of a second-order T helper (Th2) cell. Furthermore, we showed that this cell type can be replaced by an idiotype-specific helper factor derived from either a 24-hr concanavalin A supernatant (Con A) or the T cell hybridoma LOP 1.4. This factor, regardless of its source, is idiotype-specific, I-J+, and promotes in vitro expression of the cross-reactive phenyltrimethylammonium idiotype (CRI+-TMA) found on anti-trinitrophenyl antibodies. Because the expression of this idiotype in antigen-primed immune sera is linked to the Ig-1e heavy chain locus, experiments were conducted to test whether the production of this factor was also linked to the same locus. Of the strains tested, only splenocytes derived from the Ig-1e mice, irrespective of their background genetics, produced the factor upon Con A stimulation. Furthermore, the function of the factor is not major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted because Con A supernatants derived from the C57.Ige (H-2b, Ig-1e), NZB (H-2d, Ig-1e), and A.SW (H-2s, Ig-1e) strains promoted CRI+ trinitrophenyl plaque-forming cells in A/J (H-2a, Ig-1e) cultures. Further experiments were carried out to determine if the idiotype-specific factor could promote CRI+ TNP plaque-forming cells in non-Ig-1e strains. To this end, A/J Con A and LOP 1.4-derived supernatants were added to primed C57Bl/6 (H-2b, Ig-1b) and DBA/2 (H-2d, Ig-1c) splenic cultures, both of which do not express serum CRI-TMA or produce the idiotype-enhancing factor. The cultures from either strain in the presence of the factor produced CRI+-TMA trinitrophenyl plaque-forming cells of comparable numbers to the A/J prototype strain. The results suggest an important regulatory role for this factor in allotype-linked expression of dominant idiotypes.     

B lymphocytes treated in vitro with antigen coupled to cholera toxin B subunit induce antigen-specific Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells and protect against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

The ability of activated B cells to protect against various experimental autoimmune or allergic diseases makes them attractive for use in cell-based therapies. We describe an efficient way to generate B cells with strong suppressive functions by incubating naive B cells with a relevant Ag conjugated to cholera toxin B subunit (CTB). This allows most B cells, irrespective of BCR, to take up and present Ag and induces their expression of latency-associated polypeptide (LAP)/TGF-β and after adoptive transfer also their production of IL-10. With OVA as model Ag, when naive T cells were cocultured in vitro with B cells pretreated with OVA conjugated to CTB (OVA/CTB) Ag-specific CD4(+) Foxp3 regulatory T (Treg) cells increased >50-fold. These cells effectively suppressed CD25(-)CD4(+) effector T (Teff) cells in secondary cultures. Adoptive transfer of OVA/CTB-treated B cells to mice subsequently immunized with OVA in CFA induced increase in Foxp3 Treg cells together with suppression and depletion of Teff cells. Likewise, adoptive transfer of B cells pulsed with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide(35-55) (MOGp) conjugated to CTB increased the number of Treg cells, suppressed MOGp-specific T cell proliferation and IL-17 and IFN-γ production, and prevented the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Similar effects were seen when B cells were given "therapeutically" to mice with early-stage experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Our results suggest that B cells pulsed in vitro with relevant Ag/CTB conjugates may be used in cell therapy to induce Ag-specific suppression of autoimmune disease.     

Infectious nickel tolerance: a reciprocal interplay of tolerogenic APCs and T suppressor cells that is driven by immunization

Previously, we reported that tolerance to nickel, induced by oral administration of Ni(2+) ions, can be adoptively transferred to naive mice with only 10(2) splenic T cells. Here we show that 10(2) T cell-depleted spleen cells (i.e., APCs) from orally tolerized donors can also transfer nickel tolerance. This cannot be explained by simple passive transfer of the tolerogen. The APCs from orally tolerized donors displayed a reduced allostimulatory capacity, a tolerogenic phenotype, and an increased expression of CD38 on B cells. In fact, it was B cells among the APCs that carried the thrust of tolerogenicity. Through serial adoptive transfers with Ly5.1(+) donors and two successive sets of Ly5.2(+) recipients, we demonstrated that nickel tolerance was infectiously spread from donor to host cells. After the transfer of either T cells or APCs from orally tolerized donors, the spread of tolerance to the opposite cell type of the recipients (i.e., APCs and T cells, respectively) required recipient immunization with NiCl(2)/H(2)O(2). For the spread of tolerance from a given donor cell type, T cell or APC, to the homologous host cell type, the respective opposite cell type in the host was required as intermediate. We conclude that T suppressor cells and tolerogenic APCs induced by oral administration of nickel are part of a positive feedback loop that can enhance and maintain tolerance when activated by Ag associated with a danger signal. Under these conditions, APCs and T suppressor effector cells infectiously spread the tolerance to naive T cells and APCs, respectively.     

Suppressor cells as an agent of immune facilitation. II. Adoptive transfer of passively induced enhancement of allografted tumors

CBA mice injected intravenously with CBA anti-A/J spleen cell antiserum, and challenged subcutaneously 24 hr later with A/J-derived sarcoma 1 (Sa 1) develop progressive tumors. “Normal” CBA mice (i.e., injected with normal CBA serum or noninjected) reject the allograft within 20 days. Spleen cells taken from mice 20–35 days after the injection of antiserum and Sa 1 challenge can specifically transfer the ability to enhance tumor growth when injected into 200 rad irradiated recipients. Spleen cells taken 8 days after antiserum and Sa 1 challenge cannot transfer suppression. The induction of suppressor cells requires both antiserum treatment and Sa 1 challenge. Serum from suppressed mice, and from control mice that are rejecting their tumors, can also transfer suppression but only when taken 20–35 days after treatment. The suppressor cells function most effectively when transferred at the time of tumor challenge, however, they also inhibit the rejection of Sa 1 when mixed with nylon-wool purified sensitized T cells. Suppressor cells are both nylon-wool nonadherent and adherent. Further purification of the column-enriched cells using antiimmunoglobulin or anti-Thy 1.2, plus complement, suggests that both T and B cells can suppress. The mixed lymphocyte response (MLR) of spleen cells from mice challenged only with Sa 1 is inhibited 8 days after challenge. A secondary response is obtained at 20–27 days. In contrast, the MLR from antiserum and Sa 1-treated mice 8 days after challenge resembles a secondary response. By 20–27 days mice with progressive tumors have only a primary-like response. In the present experimental situation, mitomycin-treated spleen cells from antiserum and Sa 1-treated mice cannot significantly inhibit the MLR of normal cells.     

Expression and regulation of two idiotype families and subsets within an idiotype family among BALB/c antibodies against p-azophenylarsonate

The expression and regulation of the two different idiotype (id) families associated with the anti-p-azophenylarsonate (Ar) antibodies of BALB/c mice were examined. Both families ( 5AF6 and 3C6 ) represented cross-reactive idiotypes (CRI) expressed in the anti-Ar of most individual BALB/c mice. In response to keyhole limpet hemocyanin-Ar, an average of about 28% of BALB/c anti-Ar had 5AF6 family idiotopes, while 3C6 family was expressed on about 16% of BALB/c anti-Ar antibodies. Suppression induced by anti-idiotype treatment against one family did not suppress the expression of the other family, suggesting that the two families were regulated independently. However, the relative expression of one family could influence the expression of the other, because depression of the 5AF6 family tended to increase the expression of the 3C6 family of anti-Ar. Analysis of the 5AF6 family showed that a majority of BALB/c mice produced antibodies bearing most or all of the idiotopes associated with the family, but that a subset of about 35% of the antibodies synthesized lacked idiotopes associated with a monoclonal anti-Ar member of this family, 2.4. Treatment of mice with anti-idiotypes prepared against two different monoclonal anti-Ar of the 5AF6 family produced different effects: one enhanced while the other suppressed idiotype expression, suggesting that there are differences in the idiotopes associated with these two regulatory pathways. Additionally, results indicated that subsets of antibodies within the 5AF6 idiotype family could be regulated independently of each other.     

The use of nonspecific T acceptor cells to overcome the aberrant function of antigen-specific third-order T suppressor cells

Earlier studies in the phenyltrimethylamino (TMA) hapten system demonstrated that under certain conditions idiotype-specific second-order T suppressor (Ts2)-bearing mice fail to suppress TMA-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity. This was due to a functional deletion in the third-order T suppressor (Ts3) subset. In this report we have confirmed and extended these findings to show that only homologous TMA-specific Ts3 can restore suppressor function, both heterologous Ts3 and unprimed T-cell populations failed to do so. Furthermore, attempts to induce Ts3 function in the defective mice after reconstitution with normal precursor Ts3 cells also failed. In contrast, protocols which induce heterologous contact and cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions readily induced cell populations capable of restoring suppression in the Ts3-defective mice. Analysis of the lymphoid populations from the contact-sensitized defective mice revealed that these cells were not the prototypical Ts3 but were similar to the previously reported nonspecific T acceptor cell. The results further indicated that the T acceptor cell functioned as the active terminal-phase Ts subset, and this could be used as an alternative to the TMA-specific Ts3. The importance of multiple suppressor pathways at the terminal phase of immune suppression is discussed.     

Modulation of T cell functions by sperm-specific lactate dehydrogenase: fluorescence analysis of immune competent cells and local graft versus host reaction.

Immune responses to a well-defined sperm-specific isogenic lactate dehydrogenase-C4 (LDH-C4) have been studied in C57Bl/Ks (H-2d) mice after immunization through intra-rectal route. Presence of anti-LDH-C4-antibodies in the sera of females immunized in presence or absence of adjuvant suggested that the immune system of mice becomes exposed to sperm antigens following intrarectal insemination. LDH-C4 primed lymphocytes from both males and females, when transferred in F1 hybrids, suppressed stimulation index of local graft versus host reaction. However, contrary to females, male counterparts which did not elicit measurable anti-LDH-C4-antibody titer, showed the presence of a higher proportion of Ly2+ and Ia+ fluorescence labelled cells in the spleen of LDH-C4 administered mice. Results suggest that males are more susceptible for immune suppression of T cell functions through generation of T suppressor cells. Sex differences in relation to immune deviation by intra-rectal administration of sperm-specific LDH-C4 in mice and their consequences in AIDS and AIDS-related complex diseases are described.     

Role of dextran-specific suppressor T cells in the regulation of the immune response by a reactive form of dextran

Reactive forms of antigens or haptens have been shown to induce a state of hyporesponsiveness mediated in part by suppressor T cells. Injection of Balb/c x C57B16 F1 (CB6F1) mice with a reactive form of dextran B1355S (periodate oxidized dextran, dex-P) specifically reduced responses to dextran immunization within 1 day after dex-P treatment. This unresponsiveness lasted at least 23 days and required a reactive form of dextran for its induction since native dextran and oxidized/reduced dextran failed to induce tolerance. Furthermore, hyporesponsiveness could be induced by iv injection of dextran-coupled cells, especially peripheral blood lymphocytes, a result which suggests that in vivo coupling to cellular antigens is involved in dex-P-induced hyporesponsiveness. Suppression of the anti-dextran response could be transferred to normal mice with T-cell-enriched spleen cell populations from dex-P-injected mice. Interestingly, the presence of B cells in the transferred cell preparations interfered with detection of suppression. Both Lyt 1+2- and Lyt 1-2+ cells were involved in the dex-P-induced suppression; indeed, mixtures of these types of T cells led to the most profound degree of suppression. The suppressive activity of spleen cells from dex-P-injected mice could be removed by passage over dextran-coated plates. Moreover, cells eluted from the plates specifically suppressed anti-dextran responses of normal mice, indicating that dex-P injection induces a population of antigen-binding suppressor cells. This system will allow the study of the suppressor-T-cell receptors in a well-defined idiotypic system.