The inter-relationship of antigenic structure, thymus-independence and adjuvanticity. IV. A general model for B-cell induction.

Polymerized flagellin and E. coli lipopolysaccharide both express adjuvanticity in vivo and in vitro for responses to hapten conjugated to sheep erythrocytes, and hapten conjugated to soluble thymus-dependent antigens. In the case of erythrocyte-bound hapten, adjuvanticity is expressed in the absence of thymus-derived cells (T cells). However, in the case of responses to soluble thymus-dependent conjugates, carrier-specific T cells would appear to be necessary for adjuvanticity to be expressed. On the basis of these observations an hypothesis for the mechanism of B-cell induction and tolerance is proposed.