MOTH-EATEN, AN IMMUNODEFICIENT MUTANT OF MOUSE .2. DEPRESSED IMMUNE COMPETENCE AND ELEVATED SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULINS

Abstract

Mice homozygous for the recessive mutation motheaten (Me) are deficient in capacity for immune response but show an elevated level of serum immunoglobulins [Ig]. In comparison to spleen cells from normal sibs, spleen cells from Me/Me mice have a severely depressed 19S plaque forming cell response to sheep red blood cells. In the graft vs. host assay, spleen and thymus cells from motheaten donors caused significantly weaker reactions than like cells from normal sibs. Serum electrophoretic patterns of motheaten mice showed increased levels of .alpha.-, .beta.- and .gamma.-globulins and decreased levels of albumin. Increases in quantities of all major classes of Ig were found in serum of Me/Me mice 5 wk of age and older. Elevation of serum IgM was evident by 3 wk of age and had reached 25 times the levels in normal sibs by 6 wk of age. Immunoelectrophoresis and Ouchterlony analysis showed Me serum to have both .kappa. and .lambda.2 light chains. Evidence of autoimmunity was found in Me mice in the granular deposition of IgM and IgG in kidney glomeruli. Me mice appear to have a severe immune deficiency, but the basic nature of the deficiency is not yet known.