I-J as an idiotype of the recognition component of antigen-specific suppressor T-cell factor.

The I-J determinant of membrane glycoprotein is known to be expressed exclusively on suppressor T cells (TS), which have a crucial role in the regulation of immune responses. I-J also comprises part of the soluble factor (TSF) with suppressor activity which is secreted from TS. Gene-mapping experiments have indicated that the I-J gene lies between the I-A and I-E subregions of the mouse major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and is defined by the H-2 congeneic pair, that is, B10.A(3R) and B10.A(5R). In fact, antibodies raised in the reciprocal combinations of B10.A(3R) and B10.A(5R) define the I-Jb and I-Jk alleles, and are able to detect the I-J determinants on TS and TSF. Biochemical and functional analyses, using I-J-positive TS clones and hybridomas, have demonstrated that monoclonal anti-I-J antibodies precipitate I-Jk or I-Jb with a relative molecular mass of 25,000-28,000 (25-28K) and that the I-J+ molecule mediates the restriction specificity of TSF in association with an antigen-binding protein (45K). However, molecular genetic studies on the I-J gene reveal no genetic difference between B10.A(3R) and B10.A(5R) and also that there is no room to accommodate a gene encoding I-J in the expected I region. These discrepancies between the molecular genetic and serological/functional data require explanation. Here we demonstrate that TS and TSF expressing I-J of the host type were produced by fully allogeneic bone marrow cells of donor origin in chimaeric mice, when the chimaeras received the host antigen-presenting cells (APC) at the time of immunization. The results show that APC are necessary for the activation and clonal expansion of TS and also support the notion that I-J is an idiotypic determinant of the recognition component of TS and TSF.