The Combination of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) and Non‐MHC Genes Influences Murine Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Pathogenesis

Resistance to the acute lethal disease caused by the docile strain of lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus varies widely between different mouse strains. In order to study the inheritance of host influence on susceptibility to this strain of LCM virus, we crossed the F1 to the parent with the recessive disease phenotype. In all cases, susceptibility was dominant. In backcross progeny obtained from matings of parental strains differing in both major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and non‐MHC (SWR; C3H), 90% of the challenged mice died, indicating that at least three loci controlled susceptibility to the disease. When the parental strains carried similar MHC haplotypes but dissimilar background genes (B10.BR; CBA), 78% of the backcross mice succumbed, indicating that at least two non‐MHC loci influenced disease susceptibility. It is unlikely, however, that the same two non‐MHC loci are critical in all genetic combinations, since F1 produced from two H‐2 identical, resistant strains (B10.BR; C3H) were found to be fully susceptible. When congenic mice, differing only in the D‐end of the MHC region, were analysed, 50% of the backcross animals died, indicating that one gene in the MHC region was important; segregation analysis comparing MHC serotype and disease outcome indicated the H‐2D locus itself as the determining factor.