STUDIES ON ACTIVELY ALLERGIZED CELLS .I. CYTO-DYNAMICS AND MORPHOLOGY OF ROSETTE-FORMING LYMPH NODE CELLS IN MICE AND INHIBITION OF ROSETTE-FORMATION WITH ANTIBODY TO MOUSE IMMUNOGLOBULINS

(1) Mice have been injected with sheep red cells and the reaction of allergized lymph node cells with homologous antigen has been studied by a rosette-forming reaction using the 'suspension-ccntrifugation technique'. (2) Rosette-forming cells were enumerated at intervals following a single injection and related to the level of scrum antibody. The form of the response suggests it to be secondary or anamnestic. (3) The rosctting cells were studied cyto-logically after fixation and staining of rosettes. On day 4 the predominant cell was a large blast-like cell with deep cytoplasmic basophilia as opposed to the small lymphocyte which was the predominant reacting cell in suspensions taken from either uninjccted mice or mice in the later stages of the allergic response. (4) It was found that rosette formation could be inhibited by treatment of the allergized lymph node cells with anti-μ and anti-γ heavy chain sera. This and other evidence from other workers using anti-Fab’ suggest that the specific reccptors have much in common with antibody molccules. (5) Treatment of allergized lymph node cells sequentially with anti-μ and anti-γ shows that resetting cells fall into at least two exclusive classes – those with IgM-like receptors and those with IgG-like receptors. © 1969 S. Karger AG, Basel.