Previously it has been shown that the immune responses to sperm-whale myoglobin are under H-2-linked Ir-gene control. More importantly the responses to the synthetic antigenic sites are each under separate genetic control. In the present studies we investigated the genetic control of the antibody response to four different myoglobins of known structure, to determine whether this genetic control is influenced by changes in the properties of the sites. The results suggest that genetic control of the responses to individual antigenic sites on a protein antigen is not only determined by the genetic constitution of the host species but also by the chemical properties of the individual sites. It appears that the H-2 subregions mapping the responses to given antigenic sites can also recognize other sites, which were previously unrecognizable in a homologous protein, if their chemical properties are suitably altered.
SUMMARY
The primary and secondary immune response to the antigen bovine pancreatic α‐chymotrypsin was investigated in in inbred mice. It was found that strain differences in the immune response only became apparent after secondary immunization. The genetic control of the immune response was investigated in twelve different strains of mice, F1, F2 and F1 backcross hybrids, following secondary immunization. A continous distribution for the mean antibody responsiveness was obtained. High responsiveness was associated with both the H‐2 haplotype and three non‐H‐2 loci. Furthermore the F1 hybrids produced a greater quantitative antibody response to chymotrypsin than either of the corresponding parental strains.
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