Genetic control of immune response to theta-AKR alloantigen.

Abstract

Primary immune responses of ϑ-C3H mouse strains, inbred Swiss Webster (RR) and C57BL/6 to thymic alloantigen ϑ-AKR, as measured by plaque assay detecting IgM-antibody-producing cells, were shown to be under genetic control. F 1 hybrids of the high responder, RR, and the low responder, C57BL/6, were intermediate responders. The experiments with backcrosses, F 1 × RR and F 1 × C57BL/6, suggested that a pair of allelic genes both of which are expressed and which are closely associated with H-2 locus are responsible for the control. The low responder state of C57BL/6 mice could be overcome to a great extent by higher dose of the antigen. Both RR and C57BL/6 mice developed responses of similar magnitude to heterologous erythrocytes. The results of these experiments indicated that the genetic control of anti-ϑ response may be exerted at the level of the initiation of the specific immune response.