Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol 141, 1057-1072, Copyright © 1975 by Rockefeller University Press
Genetic control of immune response. The dose of antigen given in aqueous solution is critical in determining which mouse strain is high responder to poly(LTyr, LGlu)-poly(LPro)--poly(LLys)
S Jormalainen, E Mozes and M Sela
Antibody response to different doses of (T,G)-Pro--L, given in aqueous
solution, was investigated in the high responder SJL and low responder
DBA/1 strains by measuring hemolytic plaque-forming cells (PFC) in the
spleens as well as hemagglutination titers in the sera. The gene
responsible for the difference between the two strains in the response to
this antigen, given in complete Freund's adjuvant, has been previously
denoted Ir-3. This gene is not linked to the major histocompatibility
locus. In the response to the optimal dose (1 mug) of antigen, no
difference could be shown between the strains. The peak of the response and
the numbers of direct and indirect PFC were similar in both strains in the
primary and secondary response. After injection of higher doses (10-100
mug) of antigen, both the direct and indirect PFC responses were lower in
the low responder than in the high responder strain. Moreover, the peak of
the response occurred earlier in the high responder strain in the primary
response to the 10 mu dose of antigen. After administration of a suboptimal
dose (0.02 mug) of antigen, the low responder strain produced in the
primary response 4-20 times more indirect plaques than the high responder
strain. Also the number of direct plaques was higher in the low responder
than in the high responder strain. The serum antibody responses to the
optimal and higher doses of antigen were parallel to the PFC responses.
From inhibition of PFC with free antigen, it was concluded that a similar
proportion of cells was producing high and low affinity antibodies to
(T,G)-Pro--L in both strains. High and low zone tolerance could be induced
in the two strains with (T,G)-Pro--L, but no difference could be shown
between the strains. It is suggested that the Ir-3 gene plays a role in the
regulation of the balance stimulation and suppression according to the dose
of antigen given.