Induction of Immunological Tolerance to Soluble Histocompatibility-2 Antigens of Mice

Immunological tolerance to a soluble, partially purified fraction of histocompatibility (H)-2aantigen was induced in B10.D2 strain mice. The fraction used was obtained after chromatography on a Sephadex G-150 column. Tolerance of humoral-antibody formation (cytotoxins and hemagglutinins) was observed in mice injected with soluble antigen since birth, but cell-mediated immunity, as measured by skin graft survival, remained intact. Tolerance k shown to be specific for H-2aantigens, since treated mice produced a regular humoral-antibody response to H-2bantigens. These findings, along with previous observations of the immunogenic and enhancing properties of our partially purified fraction, suggest that the solubilized antigen contains all the major determinants of H-2aantigens expressed on lymphoid-cell surfaces.