Identification and characterization of an apparent germline set of auto-anti-idiotypic regulatory B lymphocytes

By fusing BALB/c splenic lymphocytes from mice immunized with phosphorylcholine (PC) to an immunoglobulin nonproducing plasmacytoma cell line, a B cell hybridoma was isolated (MM-60) that has been shown by multiple criteria to produce a bona fide auto-anti-(anti-T15 idiotype) antibody. In vivo administration of MM-60 antibody suppressed T15+ anti-PC antibody production in an idiotope-specific manner by activation of an intervening set of anti-T15 B cells. These T15-specific B cells i) appeared to express germline-encoded variable region gene products, ii) developed in parallel to, but independent of, T15+ B cells, and iii) suppressed the anti-PC response in a T cell-independent fashion. Variants of T15+ anti-PC B cells possessing aberrant immunoglobulin heavy chain D region structure escaped from the suppression imposed by this anti-T15 B cell set, suggesting that a function of the heavy chain D region may be to contribute to the formation of molecular target sites for idiotype-directed regulatory cells and/or antibodies. The indigenous nature of these particular populations of anti-idiotypic and anti-(anti-idiotypic) B cells and the ability of their immunoglobulin products to regulate antigen-specific B cells in vivo provides strong supportive evidence for the significant role idiotype-directed network interactions play in regulating specific antibody production during a normal immune response.