Genetic Control of the Murine Cell-Mediated Immune Response In Vivo.

Abstract

Various inbred and congenic strains of mice were immunized with the linear terpolymer L-glutamic acid-60-L-alanine-30-L-tyrosine-10 (GAT). Using a radioisotopic footpad assay to measure cell-mediated immunity in vivo, mice with H-2-a, H-2-b, H-2-d, and H-2-k histocompatibility alleles showed a positive reaction, whereas mice with H-2p and H-2-s alleles failed to respond. The ability of "responder" lymphocytes to show an immune response resides in the thymus-derived (T) lymphocyte population. Unfractionated spleen cells from H-2-q nonresponder mice, on transfer, showed no reactivity, whereas T-cell-enriched preparations were active.