Expression of Lyb-5 and Mls determinants by Peyer's patch B lymphocytes of X-linked immunodeficient mice

Treatment of the Peyer's patch (PP) B cells from X-linked immunodeficient (xid) (CBA/N X DBA/2)F1 male mice with anti-Lyb-5 plus complement kills approximately 75% of these cells, although xid spleen B cells are unaffected. Cytotoxic depletion of Lyb-5+ cells renders the xid PP B cell population unable to generate an in vitro direct plaque-forming cell response to the TI-2 antigen TNP-Ficoll. In addition, the B cell-enriched population from the PP of xid (CBA/N X CBA/J)F1 male mice were strong stimulators of proliferation in an M1s-defined MLR, thereby demonstrating that they also express the M1s antigen(s). Two cell surface antigens associated with mature B cells are therefore expressed by xid PP B cells, suggesting that the TNP-Ficoll responsive cells in this population are mature B cell.