Subpopulations of B lymphocytes and the carriage of immunological memory.

Thoracic duct lymphocytes from rats primed with DNP-BGG confer on irradiated, syngeneic recipients the ability to mount a large, IgG anti-DNP response after challenge with the immunizing conjugate. An analysis of this adoptive response lead to the following conclusions. the B memory cells which generate the IgG response carry IgG on their surface and are present in a subpopulation amounting to less than l0% of all B cells in thoracic duct lymph. The view that memory cells carry exclusively IgD is untenable. The majority of B lymphocytes in thoracic duct lymph are recirculating cells which carry surface IgM...