Chemotaxis of human B lymphocytes to anti-IgD

The resting population of small surface IgM+ and surface IgD+ B cells from the human tonsil can be preactivated by overnight culture in interleukin-4 (IL-4) to show locomotor responses to anti-IgM and anti-IgD at between 10 ng and 1 microgram/ml. Because this locomotion is activated through the antigen receptor and may simulate a response to antigen, we set out to establish whether this was a chemotactic response using a checkerboard filter assay with a range of concentrations and concentration gradients of anti-IgD. At high concentrations (100 ng/ml to 1 microgram/ml), a chemokinetic response, but no chemotaxis, to anti-IgD was seen. However, in concentration gradients set up at lower concentrations (0-50 ng/ml) a chemotactic response was demonstrable. During the period of culture in anti-IgD at 1 microgram/ml, a progressive loss of surface IgD from the cells was seen, but there was no loss at 10 ng/ml. This receptor loss from the cell surface may account for the lack of chemotactic effect of the anti-IgD at higher concentrations.