Genetic control of immunoregulatory circuits. Genes linked to the Ig locus govern communication between regulatory T-cell sets.

Abstract

Antigen-stimulated [mouse] Ly1:Qa1+ cells induce a nonimmune set of T[thymus-derived]-acceptor cells (surface phenotype Ly123+Qa1+) to participate in the generation of specific suppressive activity. The possiblity that the interaction between T-inducer and T-acceptor cells might be governed by genes linked to the Ig [immunoglobulin] locus was tested. Inducer:acceptor interactions occur only if the inducer and acceptor T-cell sets are obtained from donors that are identical at the Ig locus and are independent of the Ig locus expressed on the B [bone marrow-derived] cells used for assay of T-helper activity. Experiments using inducer and acceptor T cells from the congenic recombinant BAB.14 strains show that T-T interactions are not governed by Ig-CH [H chain constant region] genes per se. T-inducer:T-acceptor interactions are apparently governed by Ig-linked genes that may control expression of VH[H chain variable region]-like structures on T cells, or control expression of as yet unidentified cell-surface molecules.