Allotype suppression in the chicken. III. Analysis of the recovery form suppression by neonatally injected or maternal antibodies.
Injection of M-1 (Cmu), G-1 (Cgamma) heterozygous chickens on the day of hatch with anti-IgM-1 antiserum induced allotype suppression from which chickens recovered over a period of approximately 4 months. The suppression of the serum IgM-1 levels was matched by a decrease in the number of splenic and peripheral blood B cells bearing the relevant IgM-1 allotype, and a compensatory increase in the number of cells bearing the alternative nonsuppressed IgM-1 allotype. However, the proportion of IgM-1 bearing bursal cells was only marginally altered. The recovery from suppression was due to B cell recruitment and could be abrogated by bursectomy. Allotype suppression induced in ovo or maintained by repeated injection of anti-IgM-1 anti-serum resulted in chronic suppression and depletion of the relevant peripheral as well as bursal IgM-1-bearing cells. Antibody titers of the relevant allotype in partially suppressed chickens generally correlated with serum allotype levels without clonal restriction in antibody response of the suppressed allotype.