Biological expressions of lymphocyte activation. II. Generation of a population of thymus-derived suppressor lymphocytes.

A population of thymus-derived lymphocytes has been identified that, upon activation by the nonspecific plant mitogen concanavalin A, suppresses the development of plaque-forming cell responses in fresh or 48-h antigen-stimulated cultures of mouse spleen cells. Suppressor cells can inhibit both primary and secondary IgM and IgG responses in vitro. X-irradiation before activation of peripheral thymus-derived cells by concanavalin A abrogates generation of suppressor cells. After a 48 h activation period, however, the function of concanavalin A-activated suppressor cells is radioresistant. As yet uncertain is whether these suppressor cells are a population of cells distinct from thymus-derived "helper" cells. In certain important regards, the cells mediating these two opposing functions share similar characteristics; the effect observed may be determined by the circumstances of activation or the numbers of activated cells, and may consequently represent different functions of a single thymus-derived regulator cell population.