T-independent responses in B cell-defective CBA/N mice to Brucella abortus and to trinitrophenyl (TNP) conjugates of Brucella abortus.

CBA/N mice have an X-linked immune defect in B lymphocyte function which leads to their inability to respond to several thymus-independent antigens. We report here that these mice and immunologically defective F1 male (CBA/N X DBA/2N) mice can respond to Brucella abortus and to 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl derivatives of Brucella abortus (TNP-BA). These responses can be obtained in vivo and in vitro and are thymus-independent by the criteria that (a) they can be transferred to irradiated recipients by bone marrow cells and anti-Thy-1.2 and complement-treated spleen cells; (b) that nu/nu BALB/c spleen cells respond to TNP-BA in vitro; and (c) that anti-Thy-1.2 and complement-treated (CBA/N X DBA/2N)F1 male spleen cells respond to TNP-BA in vitro. B. abortus and TNP-BA are poor polyclonal B cell activators (PBA) and poor B cell mitogens, unlike lipopolysaccharide which is both a powerful PBA and B cell mitogen. These results therefore indicate that mice with the CBA/N B cell defect can respond to some thymus-independent antigens, namely TNP-BA, and as shown previously, TNP-LPS, although not to other thymus-independent antigens. This, in turn, suggests that thymus-independent antigens may be subdivided on the basis of their ability or inability to stimulate responses by CBA/N B lymphocytes.