Functional studies on B cell hybridomas with B cell surface antigens. I. Effects of anti-immunoglobulin antibodies on proliferation and differentiation

B cell hybridomas with Ia and IgM molecules on the cell membrane were treated with either purified goat anti-mouse mu antibody (anti-mu) or monoclonal rat anti-mouse IgM antibody (anti-IgM). The spontaneous uptake of [3H] thymidine by these cells was markedly inhibited by both reagents. These hybrid cells could be induced to differentiate into IgM-secreting cells in the presence of these reagents at high frequency. Furthermore, the induction of IgM secretion by B cell hybridomas treated with these antibodies was completely T cell independent, and cell division was not required for the differentiative response to anti-mu. In addition, F(ab')2 fragments of anti-mu showed more effects on proliferation and differentiation of these cells than intact anti-mu. Interestingly, TH2.54, a subline of B cell hybridomas, could generate IgG2a production as well as IgM when incubated with anti-mu. These findings suggest very strongly that the interaction of either goat anti-mu or monoclonal rat anti-IgM with surface IgM molecules on the cell membrane of the B cell hybridomas inhibits in vitro spontaneous proliferation, and results in providing signals for differentiation into Ig-secreting cells without T cell factors.     

Respiratory syncytial virus infection in anti-mu-treated mice.

BALB/c mice were depleted of B cells by anti-mu treatment to investigate the pathogenesis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in the absence of antibody. Termination of RSV replication after primary infection occurred with the same kinetics in anti-mu-treated mice as in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-treated controls. Yet, when rechallenged, anti-mu-treated mice were more permissive to RSV replication than PBS-treated controls. Anti-mu-treated mice also experienced greater illness than PBS-treated controls during both primary infection and rechallenge. Passive transfer of RSV-specific immune serum to anti-mu-treated mice before rechallenge reconstituted complete protection from RSV replication and diminished illness. Thus, RSV-specific antibody is not required to terminate RSV replication in primary infection, but without antibody, only partial immunity against rechallenge is induced. While it is unknown whether the mechanism is a direct effect on RSV titer or modulation of the illness-causing cellular immune response, the presence of RSV-specific antibody reduces illness in both primary RSV infection and rechallenge of mice.     

Pre-B cells: bone marrow persistence in anti-mu-suppressed mice, conversion to B lymphocytes, and recovery after destruction by cyclophosphamide.

Chronic treatment of mice from birth with anti-mu antibodies aborts development of B lymphocytes and plasma cells. In these studies we show that bone marrow from anti-mu-treated mice contains a population of cells with cytoplasmic IgM, but which lack detectable cell-surface IgM. These cells are analogous to pre-B cells, defined in ontogenetic studies as the immediate precursors of B lymphocytes. Pre-B cells from bone marrow of anti-mu treated mice retain their functional integrity, as evidenced by their ability to give rise to sIgM+, LPS-responsive lymphocytes in culture. We also show that cyclophosphamide treatment destroys pre-B cells and that recovery of pre-B cells in bone marrow precedes the regeneration of sIgM+ B lymphocytes. Generation of B lymphocytes in adult mice apparently occurs exclusively in the bone marrow because induction of extramedullary hemopoiesis in spleen was not accompanied by the appearance of pre-B cells in that organ.     

Functional studies on B cell hybridomas with B cell surface antigens. IV. Direct effects of cytochalasin B on differentiation

We previously established B cell hybridomas between M12.4.1 B lymphoma of BALB/c mice and normal B cell of C57BL/6 (B6) mice. These hybridomas express Iab, Iad, and IgM molecules on the cell membrane, and can induce the generation of IgM secretion when treated with purified goat anti-mouse-mu antibody (anti-mu) without T cell factors. In this study, TH2.54, a subclone of a B cell hybridoma, was treated with cytochalasin B (CB), a fungal product that disrupts microfilaments, and the direct effect of CB on the proliferation and differentiation of TH2.54 was examined. CB considerably suppressed the spontaneous proliferation of hybrid cells. This product, however, did not inhibit the generation of IgM secretion by TH2.54 treated with anti-mu. Surprisingly, CB could directly induce the development of IgM-secreting cells by TH2.54 at a relatively high frequency. Among cytochalasins, dihydrocytochalasin B (H2CB), cytochalasin C (CC), and cytochalasin D (CD) showed marked effects on the induction of IgM secretion as well as CB. In addition, the differentiative effect of CB was greatly inhibited by N6, O2-dibutyryladenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (dbc-AMP), but not by N2, O2-dibutyrylguanosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (dbc-GMP). Analysis by flow microfluorometry (FMF), cytotoxicity assays, and quantitative absorption tests demonstrated that CB treatment of TH2.54 resulted in a significant decrease in the expression of Iab, Iad, and IgM molecules on the cell membrane. In contrast, parental M12.4.1 neither generated any IgM secretion nor changed Iad expression on the cell membrane under the same conditions. The present study suggests very strongly that microfilament-microtubule systems are not involved in the differentiative process of TH2.54 induced by anti-mu. The results also indicate that CB can provide the initiative signal for differentiation of TH2.54 into the maturation lineage; this is followed by a significant change in the expression of Ia and IgM molecules on the cell membrane.     

B lymphocyte differentiation induced by lipopolysaccharide. III. Suppression of B cell maturation by anti-mouse immunoglobulin antibodies.

Lipopolysaccharide-(LPS) induced differentiation of mouse B lymphocytes to cells synthesizing large amounts of cytoplasmic IgM and IgG2 could be suppressed by antibodies to mu-chains. Maximal inhibition of LPS-induced differentiation was associated with increased cellular proliferation as measured by incorporation of 3H-thymidine, whereas treatment with anti-mu alone over a wide dosage range did not stimulate cellular proliferation. Spleen cells from newborn mice were suppressed by concentrations of anti-mu several hundred-fold lower than required for adult spleen cells; the adult pattern of susceptibility to suppression was acquired by 1 week of age. No significant differences in susceptibility to anti-mu were found in comparisons of adult spleen, lymph node, bone marrow, and Peyer's patch lymphocytes.     

T cell development in B cell-deficient mice. IV. The role of B cells as antigen-presenting cells in vivo

B cell-deficient, rabbit anti-mouse IgM-treated mice were compared with normal or normal rabbit immunoglobulin-treated controls in their ability to develop proliferative T cell responses, delayed hypersensitivity, and primary or secondary cytotoxic T cell responses. Immunization with hapten-coupled autologous spleen cells resulted in anti-mu-treated mice generating only marginal T cell responses. This decreased responsiveness was shown to be attributable not to an intrinsic T cell defect or to changes in the ability of macrophages from anti-mu-treated mice to present soluble antigen, but rather to the greatly diminished capacity of B cell-deficient spleen cells to present antigen. The results support the concept that B cells play a significant role in antigen presentation required for T cell activation.     

Activation of human B cells and inhibition of their terminal differentiation by monoclonal anti-mu antibodies

Anti-mu antibody preparations have been found to exert both positive and negative effects on B cell activation and differentiation. To explore these paradoxical influences of IgM cross-linkage on human B cells, three gamma 1 kappa murine monoclonal antibodies specific for human mu-chains (DA4.4, AB6.4, 145.8) were examined for their comparative effects on activation of B cells and inhibition of terminal plasma cell differentiation. All three antibodies appeared equally efficient in immunoprecipitation of surface IgM molecules; however, fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis revealed that the DA4.4 and AB6.4 antibodies saturated the B cell surface IgM at slightly lower concentrations than did the 145.8 antibody. When the affinity-purified antibodies were added in varying concentrations to cultures of small resting B cells, all three antibodies induced B cell enlargement and DNA synthesis, but with varying degrees of efficiency (DA4.4 greater than AB6.4 much greater than 145.8). In striking contrast, large B cells isolated either by FACS or density gradient separation were unresponsive. The anti-mu-induced proliferative response of small B cells required relatively high B cell densities, but not T cells or the Fc portion of the antibody molecules. The maximal proliferative response was obtained during the third day of culture, and the response curve suggested that anti-mu induced only one round of B cell replication. All three antibodies were capable of completely inhibiting T cell factor-induced differentiation of large B cells into IgM plasma cells; both F(ab')2 fragments and intact anti-mu antibodies were effective in final concentrations as low as 1 microgram/ml. Significant suppression of IgG and IgA plasma cell differentiation was also achieved, but required higher concentrations of the anti-mu antibodies. For each antibody, there was a close correlation between the efficiency of inducing small B cell proliferation and of inhibiting large B cell differentiation into plasma cells. The results show that the B cell response to cross-linkage of cell surface IgM varies according to the differentiation stage. We postulate that the mature resting B cell represents the only stage in the life history of the B cell during which surface Ig cross-linkage leads to a positive signal, negative signals being the rule at other stages in B cell replication and differentiation.     

Tumor necrosis factor selectively inhibits activation of human B cells by Epstein-Barr virus

We have investigated the effect of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (rTNF-alpha) on human B cell activation and differentiation. Among several T cell-dependent and independent B cell stimulation systems tested (anti-mu, pokeweed mitogen, Epstein-Barr virus), only the activation by Epstein-Barr virus was inhibited by rTNF-alpha. rTNF-alpha inhibited in a dose-dependent manner both the proliferation and differentiation (Ig secretion) of Epstein-Barr virus-stimulated B cells when added at the beginning or within 48 hr of a 6 to 8-day culture period. Maximal suppression (80 to 95%) was found at rTNF-alpha concentrations of 10 to 50 ng/ml. Inhibition of B cell activation required the presence of significant numbers (25%) of plastic adherent macrophages within the B cell population. Suppression was not due to lysis of Epstein-Barr virus-infected B cells by rTNF-alpha-treated macrophages. As shown by double chamber experiments where macrophages and B cells were separated by a 0.45-micron membrane, macrophages elaborated factors in response to rTNF-alpha, which, alone or synergistically with rTNF-alpha, inhibited B cell activation. These factors were different from prostaglandin E2, interferon-alpha, and interleukin 1. We conclude that rTNF-alpha can dramatically modulate certain normal immune responses in vitro.     

Influence of immunoglobulin-dependent T cells on antibody class switching

Normal and B cell-deficient, carrier-primed mice were irradiated and were adoptively transferred with B cells to evaluate the role of putative Ig- and B cell-dependent T cells in anti-hapten antibody responses. The response was analyzed by using the splenic focus assay, which allowed us to examine the frequency of responding B cells and the production of multiple isotypes by single precursor B cells. This analysis revealed that both primary and secondary B cells were activated at higher frequency in the spleens of normal recipients, and production of isotypes other than IgM and IgG1 was enhanced in normal recipients as compared with anti-mu-treated recipients. Both changes could be restored to control levels by co-transfer of T cells from normal donors primed with an unrelated carrier, provided the free carrier was added to the assay culture. These results are consistent with a role for Ig or B cell-dependent helper T cells in the optimal activation and the resulting isotype expression of both primary and secondary B cells.     

Production of human suppressor T cell hybridomas

To study human T cell suppression of immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesis with homogeneous populations of immunoregulatory cells, human suppressor T cell hybridomas were prepared by somatic cell fusion of concanavalin A-activated peripheral blood T cells with hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase-(HGPRT, EC 2.4.2.8) deficient human leukemic CEM T cells. After selection in hypoxanthine-aminopterin-thymidine (HAT) medium and cloning by limiting cell dilution, two human T cell hybridomas were identified that produced 60 to 80% suppression of in vitro polyclonal immunoglobulin production when cocultured with pokeweed mitogen- (PWM) stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes. Further, one of the suppressor T cell hybridomas constitutively secreted a soluble suppressor factor(s) (TsF) of m.w. 70,000 to 85,000 daltons, which produced reversible noncytotoxic inhibition of lectin-activated B cell Ig production. In contrast, this TsF did not inhibit lectin- or antigen-induced T cell proliferation, nor did it interfere with the generation or effector function of cytotoxic T cells. Additional studies indicated that this Tsf acts directly on B cells or monocytes rather than indirectly modulating the activity of immunoregulatory T cells. In summary, these studies suggest that techniques of somatic cell fusion may provide a valuable approach to further study human immunoregulatory cell-cell interactions as well as provide a source of sufficient quantities of important lymphokines for further purification and characterization.     

Isotype, VH genes, and antigen-binding analysis of hybridomas from newborn normal BALB/c mice

In this study we report on the characterization of a panel of 62 hybridomas generated by fusing unstimulated spleen cells from neonatal (less than 24 hr old) normal BALB/c mice with the non-secreting Sp 2/0 cell line. The vast majority (98%) of these hybridomas secreted Ig but only 20% produced IgM. The isotype of the remaining hybridomas was determined as being IgG2b. Interestingly, when splenocytes from 1-day-old mice were stimulated with LPS for 48 h prior to the fusion event, 84% of the hybridomas were secreting IgM. The hybridoma supernatants were screened either by ELISA or RIA for binding reactivity using a panel of 17 Ag, proportionally divided between self and non-self. A binding reactivity could be assigned in 44% of cases. Of these, 29% were monoreactive, i.e., reactivity occurred with one Ag only, while the remaining 15% were multireactive. The majority (21 of 27) of hybridomas with a defined reactivity were directed against self-Ag. These included autologous red blood cells, DNA, histone H1, thyroglobulin, and Ag of the cell surface of T cells. The frequency of utilization of VH genes was determined using DNA probes for eight VH gene families. While all VH gene families appeared to have been used, one, VH 7183, had a slight but significant (p less than 0.02) higher utilization than expected by random expression. The frequency of all the other VH gene families was not significantly different from random utilization. No correlation was found between Ag reactivity in the supernatants and the utilization of a particular VH gene family. These findings indicate that early in the ontogeny the predominant reactivity of B cells is for self-Ag and, unlike what it is commonly believed, the IgM isotype is not dominant within these endogenously activated B cells at this time of ontogeny when genes from all VH families are utilized.     

Effect of interferon-alpha on immunoglobulin synthesis by human B cells

We have investigated the effect of human recombinant interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) on mitogen-induced immunoglobulin (Ig) production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from normal individuals. Low concentrations (1 to 100 IU/ml) of IFN-alpha enhanced pokeweed mitogen-stimulated Ig production. In contrast, high concentrations of IFN-alpha (10(5) IU/ml) suppressed pokeweed mitogen-induced Ig production. Irradiation of T cells did not ablate the high dose suppression, indicating that suppression was not due to a radiation-sensitive T cell. Kinetic experiments revealed that IFN-alpha needed to be added to 10 day cultures within the first 72 hr for either enhancement or suppression to be noted. Preincubation of purified B cells with IFN-alpha suppressed Ig production as completely as when unfractionated mononuclear cells were incubated with IFN-alpha. On the other hand, preincubation of T cells or monocytes with IFN-alpha had no effect on subsequent Ig production in reconstituted mononuclear cell cultures. Mitogen-induced proliferation of purified B cells was not affected by IFN-alpha at any concentration, but Ig production by purified B cells stimulated with Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I or anti-mu and B cell differentiation factors responded to IFN-alpha with low concentration enhancement and high concentration suppression. Studies of Ebstein-Barr virus-transformed B cell lines showed that IFN-alpha caused a similar effect on the CESS line as on peripheral blood B cells, with low dose enhancement and high dose suppression of Ig production. Thus one IFN-alpha effect is to modulate Ig production, and this appears to be a direct effect on B cells. Combined with the data in the accompanying paper, the effects of IFN-alpha on B cell function are similar in vivo and in vitro.