The genetic control of T cell-mediated immunity: I. Characterization of a mouse strain whose low responsiveness is inherited as a recessive trait

The aim of the experiments was to find a T cell-mediated cytotoxic reaction where genetically determined low responsiveness is under the control of recessive genes. The T cell-mediated immune response to DBA/2 mastocytoma cells P 815-X2 in different inbred strains, F1 hybrids and congenic resistant strains of mice was determined using the (51)Cr-release method. Two tyes of low responsiveness were found. The first already well documented type is characterized by dominance of low responsiveness in genetical analysis. It is due to tolerance because of the identity of the H-2 linked specificities of the recipient and of DBA/2 (H-2(d)) mice from which the tumour is derived. The second and new type of low responsiveness in T cell-mediated immunity was found in DBA/1 mice. In this strain low responsiveness is inherited as a recessive trait. The cytotoxic response of DBA/1J mice against the C57B1/6 lymphoma EL 4 is normal. Thus, their low responsiveness is restricted to a limited number of membrane determinants