POSSIBLE MIGRATION OF HARDERIAN-GLAND IMMUNOGLOBULIN-A BEARING LYMPHOCYTES INTO THE CECAL TONSIL IN CHICKENS

This study was designed to evaluate the significance of the Harderian gland (HG) in the chicken IgAproduction system by investigating the in fluence of KG on the increase of surface IgA (sIgA)-positive cells in other lymphoid organs and also the possibility of migration of HG lymp hocytes into other organs. Non-contact culture of splenic or caecal to nsil (CT) lymphocytes with HG whole cells did not enhance the expressi on of sIgA. The experiment of HG lymphocyte transfer showed that the t ransferred HG lymphocytes migrated mainly into the CT in the 3-week-ol d recipient, and mainly into the CT and bursa of Fabricius (BF) in the 6-week-old recipient It was also found that the transferred sIgA-posi tive HG lymphocytes migrated selectively into CT in both 3-week-old an d G-week-old recipients. These results indicated that chicken HG plays a central role not only in governing the local immunity in the eyes a nd respiratory tract but also as an organ which supplies precursory Ig A-producing cells involved in local immunity in the intestine.