The effect of anti-mu suppression of gammaM and gammaG on the production of gammaE.

Newbonr mice were treated from the day of birth with either bovine gamma globulin or anti-mu chain sera. The latter was administered using a protocol known to produce suppression of gammaM, gammaG, and gammaA production. Subsequent immunization with ovalbumin (OA) in alum was attempted to see if suppression of gammaM, gammaG, and gammaA classes of antibody would also be accompanied by suppression of gammaE-producing capacity. gammaG and gammaM antibody to OA and mercaptoethanol-resistant (gammaG) antibody to OA were measured by passive hemagglutination; gammaG and gammaE anti-OA antibodies were measured by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis. Anti-mu suppression was achieved with significant reduction in gammaM and gammaG antibodies. gammaE antibodies were not affected, suggesting an ontogenetic development for gammaE-bearing lymphocytes independent of the previously described gammaM to gammaG to gammaA ontogenetic sequence.