Murine responses to (Tyr-Glu-Ala-Gly) n: II. H-2 and non-H-2 gene effects

Mice of the H-2 b haplotype responded to the sequential polymer poly(Tyr-Glu-Ala-Gly) in the in vitro T-cell proliferative assay, irrespective of whether they were homozygous or heterozygous at the H-2 b locus. The antibody responses of the H-2 b congenic mice to this polymer were variable, with A.BY and BALB.B showing responses better than those of C57BL/6 and C57BL/10 strains. The antibody responses of the F 1 progeny of (responder × nonresponder) strains of mice to this polymer are generally lower than the responder parents. F 1 mice with C57BL/10 background were the poorest responders. Studies with F 2 mice and backcross progenies of selective breeding of high and low antibody responder (C57BL/6 × BALB/c) F 1 to high responder C57BL/6 mice indicated that both non-H-2 genes and H-2 gene dosage effects influenced the magnitude of the humoral antibody responses. Animals having low responder non-H-2 background and only half the dosage of the responder immune response genes has greatly diminished antibody responses.