Isotype regulation of antibody production: T-cell hybrids can be selectively induced to produce IgG1 and IgG2 subclass-specific suppressive immunoglobulin-binding factors.

T2D4, a T-cell hybrid, spontaneously secretes suppressive immunoglobulin factor(s); when incubated with purified monoclonal mouse immunoglobulins, this hybrid produces high levels of immunoglobulin-binding factors specific for the subclass of the inducing immunoglobulin. Thus, we were able to induce the production of IgG1- or IgG2-specific inhibitory factors by the same T2D4 T-cell hybrid. These subclass-specific suppressive factors bind selectively to the IgG1 or IgG2 subclasses and inhibit specifically the secretion of antibodies of the corresponding subclass. Our results favor a model of negative regulation of isotype expression in which a given isotype triggers suppressor mechanism(s) specifically inhibiting its production.