Review of studies on the immunological capacity in the bursectomized chick

This paper summarizes data on the immunological capacity in the bursectomized chick. A series of experiments described by Glick and Sadler represented the functional importance of the bursa of Fabricius for the humoral immunity in chicken. Later studies of immune responses in bursaless chickens reported by Lerner et al. contributed to our knowledge of bursa-independent humoral immunity and demonstrated an extra-bursal site for B-cell differentiation. Bursectomy at an early stage of chicken development changes the immune responses after hatching. Here I present my current understanding of embryonic B-cell populations (bursa-dependent and independent) following in ovo bursectomy which may influence B-cell differentiation with reference to our experiments on J chain production.