Evidence that only donor cells produce antibody in a lethally irradiated cell transfer recipient.

In a cell transfer system, using the allotype congenic pair C57BL/6 (Ihgb) and B.C-9 (Igha), we established that the antibody response to dinitrophenylated bovine gamma globulin measured by solid state radioimmunoassay was only of donor allotype, both in the primary and in the secondary responses and regardless of the age of the cell donor. The magnitude of the response by allotype congenic recipients was similar to that of syngeneic recipients when either B.C-9 or C57BL/6 were used as donors.