Murine B cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin (IL) 4 produce IgG1 and IgE, but synthesize IgG2a when stimulated with LPS and interferon-gamma. The cytokines, however, that regulate immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesis induced in normal B cells under antigen-driven major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted conditions in the absence of potent B cell mitogens have not been fully elucidated. We and others have shown that under cognate MHC-restricted conditions, CD4+ T cell clones of the TH1 subset, which produce IL 2 and interferon-gamma, and T cell clones of the TH2 subset, which produce IL 4 and IL 5, are both capable of inducing anti-trinitrophenyl IgG plaque-forming cells. In this report we have examined in further detail the cytokine requirements for the induction of Ig synthesis in B cells cultured directly with TH1 and TH2 T cell clones. Using (a) TH2 clones that varied in the amount of IL 5 secreted, (b) a neutralizing monoclonal antibody against IL 5 and (c) T cell clones pretreated with cyclosporin A to inhibit cytokine secretion, we found that IL 5 was essential for induction of IgG1 synthesis by TH2 but not TH1 T cells. Although we demonstrated that IL 2 could actually up-regulate the synthesis of IL 5 by TH2 clones, the induction of IgG synthesis by TH2 clones was entirely independent of IL 2. In contrast, induction of IgG1 synthesis by TH1 clones was absolutely dependent upon the presence of IL 2 and was not affected by the presence of IL 5. Thus, these studies demonstrate the idea that at least two independent pathways exist for the induction of IgG1 synthesis, and that one of these pathways is IL 4/IL 5 dependent and the other IL 2 dependent.