Influence of paternal immunity on idiotype expression in offspring

Abstract

The immune response of the rat to group A streptococcal carbohydrate (SACHO) and an associated idiotype, Id-1, was used to examine the effect of paternal immunity on Id-1 and SACHO-specific antibody expression by the offspring. First litters, conceived before immunization of the father, had significantly higher Id-1 levels than litters conceived by the same parental pairs after hyperimmunization of the father (P greater than 0.01). Total anti-SACHO levels were not affected. The effect appeared to be independent of the level of Id-1 expressed by the father or grandfather. No significant difference in Id-1 production was found between offspring of actively immune, neonatally Id-1 suppressed fathers and fathers expressing high levels of Id-1. We suggest that the paternal immunoregulatory influence acts via the maternal immune system to modify the idiotype repertoire expressed in the immune response of the offspring, and is not the result of genetic transmission of a trait acquired by the father. Some possible mechanisms of transmission are discussed.

Telegony, the Sire Effect and non‐Mendelian Inheritance Mediated by Spermatozoa: A Historical Overview and Modern Mechanistic Speculations

“…The response of this offspring was significantly lower than the response of mice born to normal females mated only to normal mates (Gorczynski et al 1983). This type of observation has also been reported by Cooper-Willis et al (1985). In addition, Sobey and Conolly (1986) demonstrated that male domestic rabbits, mating after recovering from myxomatosis, may transmit immunity to progeny born to the female in the next 7 months, including progeny sired by other males lacking immunity.…”

Mechanism of directional mutations?

“…Subsequent to this report, positive acquired paternal transmission reports have appeared from other independent groups (Mullbacher et al, 1983;Cooper-Willis et al, 1985) as well as later studies from my own and Dr. Gorczynski's laboratories (Steele, 1984a,b;Gorczynski et al, 1983;Steele et al, 1984). It should be noted that most of the Mullbacher et al study was conducted in the same laboratory as that of Brent et al…”

Observations on Offspring of Mice Made Diabetic With Streptozocin

“…£95% confidence interval 5.7-9.2, range 5.5-9.5. (7,8,(16)(17)(18)(19), STZ-D, possibly involving an active autoimmune disease, specific for (3-cells, might itself favor the transmission of acquired paternal diabetic effects. In addition, the decision to use this type of diabetic male in the breeding program was reinforced by the observation of Like and Rossini (13) that the insulitis caused by multiple subdiabetogenic doses of STZ is associated with the induction of endogenous type C viruses in p-cells (not observed after delivery of a single high sublethal dose of STZ).…”

“…The mechanism of this obviously complex paternal transmission phenomenon is unknown. Whether the process is related to acquired antigen-induced paternal-inheritance effects documented for the immune system is unknown and will only be clarified by further work (7,8,(17)(18)(19)(20).…”