A 35-kDa polypeptide, Bp35, expressed on the surface of all B cells, plays a role in B-cell activation. Monoclonal antibodies to Bp35 stimulate human tonsillar B cells to proliferate. The activation induced by anti-Bp35 is similar to anti-Ig-mediated in several ways: the activation does not require T cells but is augmented by T-cell-derived allogeneic factors; monovalent Fab fragments to Bp35 do not trigger proliferation but instead block activation by whole antibody, indicating that cross-linking is required; and induction by anti-Bp35, like the induction by anti-Ig, is inhibited by monoclonal anti-IgM via an Fc domain-dependent mechanism. However, several features of anti-Bp35-mediated proliferation are clearly different from activation by anti-Ig: anti-Bp35 monoclonal antibodies do not require attachment to beads to function, the proliferation induced by anti-Bp35 and anti-Ig is additive, and Fab fragments of anti-Bp35 augment proliferation induced by anti-Ig. Models for the possible function of the Bp35 polypeptide as either a "bridge" or a "second signal" with surface Ig in B-cell activation are discussed.