title: Stimulation of specific suppressor T cells in newborn responder mice by the terpolymer L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT).
abstract: The effects of immunization with the terpolymer of L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine40-L-tyrosine10 (GAT), the copolymers of L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine40 (GA) and of L-glutamic acid50-L-tyrosine50 (GT), were compared in adult and newborn BALB/c and BALB.B mice. as expected, BALB/c (H-2d) and BALB.B (H-2b) adult mice were responders to GAT and GA and nonresponders to GT, which induced suppressor T cells in BALB/c but not in BALB.B mice. in contrast, newborn mice expressed different phenotypes. Two-week-old mice developed responses to GAT, GA and GT-complexed methylated bovine serum albumin, but immunization at birth with these copolymers induced a cross-reactive tolerance in both strains. Neonatal GAT tolerance could be transferred in adult and involved suppressor T cells in the two inbred strains, whereas the GT-specific immune suppression was not demonstrable in newborn BALB/c mice. The significance of these data to our understanding of the regulation of specific immune response and tolerance is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology*; D000941:Antigens; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007114:Immunization; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011108:Polymers; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D011108:Polymers