title: Genetic control of natural immunity to ecotropic mouse leukemia viruses: production of endogenous immunogen.
abstract: Mice of the AKR and C57L strains naturally produced low titers of antibody against ecotropic murine leukemia viruses (MuLV). The F1 hybrid of these strains produced anti-MuLV antibody in higher titer than mice of either of the parental strains. Progeny of the genetic backcross C57L X (AKR X C57L)F1 segregated for the production of infectious ecotropic MuLV (according to the Akv-1 and Akv-2 loci) and for the production of antibody against MuLV. All mice that contained infectious MuLV produced anti-MuLV antibodies. Thus, the persistent production of high-titered MuLV in these mice did not result in immunological tolerance towards viral antigens. In contrast, mice that did not contain infectious MuLV could be separated into antibody-producing and -nonproducing classes. The absence of detectable antibody to MuLV in an individual mouse was invariably associated with a virus-free phenotype. Antibody against MuLV reacted primarily with p15 and gp70 proteins of the viral envelope. It was concluded that overt production of endogenous ecotropic MuLV served as a major immunogenic stimulus for the production of anti-MuLV antibody in these mice.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D007109:Immunity; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D010455:Peptides; D014764:Viral Proteins