The presence of Ly-m11 alloantigen in mouse body fluids

Restricted recognition of beta 2-microglobulin by cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Recognition of foreign antigen by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) is restricted by class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) products. Class I heavy chains (relative molecular mass (Mr) 45,000-48,000) are reversibly and noncovalently associated with beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M, Mr = 12,000). Cells expressing human or murine class I heavy chains can exchange their native beta 2M for exogenously added free beta 2M, which is present in serum. Two allelic forms of beta 2M exist among the common laboratory mouse strains, beta 2M-A and beta 2M-B, which are represented in BALB and C57BL mice, respectively. The two forms differ at a single amino acid at position 85, the gene (beta 2m) is located on chromosome 2 linked to a minor histocompatibility (H) region, H-3. It has been proposed that one of the H-3 loci is identical with beta 2m, and that CTL raised across certain H-3 incompatibilities are actually specific for beta 2M. Here we describe CTL raised in such a combination which recognize endogenous as well as exogenous beta 2M-B in the context of H-2Kb. This represents a unique case of CTL recognition, as CTL usually recognize antigens inserted into the membrane, and it is the first molecular identification of the product of a minor H locus.

A new H-2-linked class I gene whose expression depends on a maternally inherited factor

The maternally transmitted antigen (Mta) is expressed on the cells of most strains of mice. It is a medial histocompatibility antigen, that is, it is recognized by unrestricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes as are major H antigens, but unlike these it is a weak transplantation antigen and does not itself restrict the T-cell recognition of minor H antigens. All other medial H antigens are encoded by genes closely linked to the major histocompatibility complex, H-2 in the mouse. By contrast, Mta appeared to follow extrachromosomal, maternal inheritance. Several substrains of NZB, NZO and non-inbred European NMRI mice are Mta-negative. Females of these strains bear only Mta- offspring, while females of the inbred Mta+ strains bear only Mta+ offspring. Repeated backcrossing from Mta+ females to NZB or NMRI males has shown that, given the right cytoplasmic genes, the chromosomal genes of these Mta- strains permit expression of Mta2. As the Mta type of a mouse cannot be influenced by embryo transfer or foster nursing, we concluded that it was determined by a cytoplasmic factor (Mtf), transmitted through the egg. We now show that a gene, Hmt, closely linked to the H-2 complex, is also required for expression of Mta.

Mouse alloantigen system Ly-m22 predominantly expressed on T lymphocytes and controlled by a gene linked to M1s region on chromosome 1

Spleen cells from a DBA/2 mouse immunized with RL male 1 tumor cells, a radiation induced BALB/c T-cell leukemia, were hybridized with the nonsecretor myeloma line NS.1. Four established hybrid cell lines continuously secreted antibodies that recognized a new alloantigenic specificity, tentatively called Ly-m22. This antigen is detectable on nearly 60% of lymph node cells, and 30% of spleen cells by direct cytotoxicity assay, but did not lyse significant number of cells of thymus and bone marrow. By absorption test, these lymphoid organs, i.e., lymph node, spleen, thymus, and bone marrow, were shown to express Ly-m22 determinant. The newly found antigen is expressed predominantly on T-cells. Analysis of BXD and SWXL recombinant inbred strains revealed close linkage between Ly-m22 and Ltw-4 loci on chromosome 1. The estimated recombination frequency is 0.027 +/- 0.081.

Genetic analysis of the non-H-2-linked Ir genes controlling the cytotoxic T-cell response to H-Y in H-2d mice

The T-cell mediated immune responses to the male specific minor histocompatibility antigen H-Y in mice have been studied extensively as a model for immune responses to other weak antigens like tumor antigens or autoantigens. In a recent analysis of the strain distribution of the cytotoxic T-cell (Tc-cell) responsiveness to H-Y, it has been found that genes both within and outside the H-2 complex exert an interactive control. Whereas the H-2b strains all are high responders, independent of their non-H-2 background, other H-2 haplotypes (d, k, and s) only allow for a response if they are combined with certain non-H-2 genes. The H-2-linked immune response genes (Ir-genes) have been previously mapped to the I and K or D region of the H-2 complex, but the mapping of the non-H-2 genes has not yet been established. In this study evidence is presented, using recombinant inbred strains and immunoglobulin heavy chain (Igh) congenic strains of mice, to show that there is more than one non-H-2 Ir-gene involved, that the main controlling genes are not linked to the Igh complex, and that at least one non-H-2 Ir-gene is linked to the H-3 region on chromosome 2. This region includes genes for beta-2-microglobulin (beta 2m), the Ly-m11 alloantigen a polymorphic cell surface glycoprotein (Pgp-1), a B-cell specific antigen Ly-4, a transplantation antigen H-3, and genes (Ir-2) controlling the immune response to Ea-1 and H-13.